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Updated:07/16/2021 00:34h
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In its continuous evolution and search for excitement, Formula 1 will experience an experimental weekend this coming weekend with a sprint race that will determine the starting grid on Sunday. Silverstone will be the first test bed, which will continue in Italy (Monza, September 11) and Brazil (Interlagos, November 6). All this, with the aim of making the three days of the grand prix more exciting in order to increase the number of fans of this sport. If the experiment is positive it could be implemented in the future.
What is a sprint race?
A sprint race is a shorter version of a normal race. F1 has been inspired by F2, in which races of 170 kilometers, although they are shortened 50 kilometers when they are disputed to the sprint. And they have been proven to enjoy a lot of excitement. The most plausible example occurred in 2017, in Bahrain. Then, Charles Leclerc (now at Ferrari) achieved an incredible comeback that will last in the history of the category. F1 tries with this measure to increase the excitement all weekend, which until now was reserved for the day of the race. With this system, every day there will be a moment of excitement that fans can enjoy. Keep in mind that F1 has long been looking to make changes to the traditional format. A 100 kilometer race will be held at Silverstone on Saturday.
What is the new weekend format?
Sprint race weekends will have a different format and schedule than normal Grand Prix weekends. The changes require that on Friday there will be only one free practice session of one hour before the usual classification, which will be divided, as always, into Q1, Q2 and Q3. These classifications, which used to be played on Saturday, will be held on Friday and will shorten free practice. They will also determine a starting grid for the short race to be held on Saturday. Precisely, on Saturday there will be a second round of free practice of one hour, the last one, since FP3 is eliminated. And the usual classification on Saturdays is replaced by the sprint race, which will last half an hour and will have a distance of about 100 kilometers. Sunday will be the same than always, with a race that will remain at 305 km for all circuits and 260 km for Monaco.
What will the rules for tires be like?
The tire rules also change: in the first hour-long free practice session on Friday morning, each driver will have two sets of tires that the teams will freely choose. In qualifying on Friday afternoon, there will be five sets of soft tires for each rider. Saturday morning’s 60-minute free practice will be on a single set of tires of the compound freely chosen by each team. Saturday afternoon’s sprint qualifying race will be with two sets of tires that teams can freely choose from. And the grand prize will be with the two sets of tires that remain for the team of those previously chosen for the entire weekend. Teams will be able to choose which tire to start the race with.
Does anything change if there is rain?
At the start of each Grand Prix, each driver will be given three sets of rain tires and four sets of intermediate tires. If it rains in FP1 or in the normal classification on Friday afternoon and a wet race is declared, teams will receive one more set of intermediatesAlthough they will have to return a set of intermediates used before the sprint race on Saturday. If the sprint race is wet, teams may return a rain or intermediate set and in return receive a new, unused intermediate set. In total there will be a maximum of nine rain sets or intermediates.
Sprint Race Rules Summary
They will consist of 100 kilometers (for example 17 laps at Silverstone). They will last between 25 minutes and half an hour. Teams choose which sets of tires to use. The grid is decided by Saturday’s classification. Only the first three classified will score. There will be no podium ceremony nor will podiums count for statistics. The result defines the grid for Sunday’s main race. The winner of the race will be considered poleman.
How many sprint races will there be in 2021?
Formula 1 will test three sprint races in the 2021 season, the first of which will be held this weekend, during the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. Although they are not confirmed yet, it is expected that there will be two more. One during the Italian Grand Prix in September, in Monza and possibly in Interlagos, during the Brazilian Grand Prix, in November.
Which drivers will score points in these races?
Only the first three classified they will earn additional points. The winner will obtain three points, the second classified will add two points and the third one will obtain one point. Unlike the long-running race on Sunday, there will be no podiums for sprint races, although the winner will receive a trophy in the parc fermé and will be considered the poleman.
What if someone doesn’t finish the sprint race?
Although there are no clear answers to this until the FIA publishes the full sporting rules on sprint races, in theory a driver who does not finish the sprint race would have to start Sunday’s grand prix in his remaining position. race. And if a driver does not finish the race due to a breakdown or damage to the car, he would receive a economic compensation. Also, if a car is damaged during a sprint race, teams will have to replace the broken parts with matching ones. That’s because the cars enter parc fermé conditions, a point at which major changes can no longer be made, when they reach qualifying on Friday.
What do the drivers and teams think?
«I am nervous, it is always like that in the face of the unknown. We’ve gone the extra mile, the teams have put a lot of work into it, so I think it will be successful. We need to get the fans involved and we need to make sure we have a career that they are really excited about. I think they will, but we won’t know until we get to Silverstone. ” Ross Brawn, F1 sporting director. However, not all the protagonists are so optimistic, as reflected by the doubts of Lewis Hamilton. «It will probably be a procession. Hopefully there will be some overtaking, but most likely it won’t be too exciting. We will see, it does not make sense to judge it even before trying it, “said the Briton, who will try to cut points from Verstappen taking advantage of the fact that he runs at home.
More receptive they were Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso. «I like to try new things, it is a format that can bring surprises. We’ll see how things go at Silverstone and there will surely be some tweaks for the next two events “, the Asturian adventurers, while the Madrid-born celebrates the free choice of tires for the sprint classification:” It should allow us to push a little more and have fun».
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