F1 Sprint Race Rules: What’s New in the 2024 Format?
The highly anticipated Formula 1 season brings back the exciting sprint racing format for this year’s Chinese Grand Prix, promising more action and adrenaline on the tracks. With the return of this short and intense race, it is important to understand the changes and innovations in the regulations in order to closely follow the excitement it offers.
What is the F1 sprint race?
The Sprint Race is a compact, fast-paced version of the traditional Grand Prix, designed to give fans an extra dose of excitement and offer newcomers an introduction to the world of racing. This race lasts just 100km, about a third of the usual Grand Prix distance, and there are no mandatory pit stops. The winner will be decided on the first arrival at the checkered flag, testing the drivers’ speed and skill.
What has changed in the 2024 format?
With the start of the new season, some changes have been made to make the format even more exciting and dynamic:
1. Second Parc Fermé:
One of the most significant innovations is the introduction of a second Parc Fermé period. This means that the vehicles are initially placed under parc fermé conditions from the start of the sprint qualifying until the end of the sprint race. This change gives teams more flexibility to adjust their settings between the sprint race and Grand Prix qualifying.
2. New qualifying schedule: Sprint qualifying now consists of three sessions – SQ1, SQ2 and SQ3. Each of these sessions lasts differently: 12, 10 and 8 minutes respectively, with seven minute breaks in between. This increases pressure on drivers and teams as they have less time to complete their hot laps and adapt their strategies.
3. Distribution of points: The sprint race continues to award points to the top eight finishers and thus contributes to the Formula 1 drivers’ and constructors’ championship. The points distribution remains the same as the previous season, with first place receiving eight points and eighth place receiving one point.
How did the teams perform in the 2023 season?Last season Oscar was one of three drivers to win a sprint race and took his first F1 victory in Qatar. In addition, Lando Norris achieved two podium places in the sprint race, demonstrating the competitiveness and exciting balance between the teams and drivers.With these changes and the exciting competition history, the F1 Sprint Race promises to be one of the biggest attractions of the 2024 season. Stay tuned to catch all the action and excitement on the tracks!
