Sprint Races

Also known as an F1 Sprint, a sprint race is a condensed version of a regular Grand Prix that covers a shorter distance of 100km. Sprint races have been adopted across several racing series, including Formula 2, which runs alongside the Formula 1 season and promotes the future stars of the sport.

Starting in 2023, the F1 Sprint Race was scheduled to take place on Saturdays during Grand Prix weekends. This addition to the Formula One weekend provided an additional and exciting experience for fans included in their weekend Grand Prix ticket price.

Each Sprint has a qualifying session, like the main race. While drivers can earn championship points in the Sprint Race, they no longer determine the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix as they did in 2022. This had been a controversial rule for fans, drivers, and teams. Instead, F1 reintroduced a traditional qualifying session that took place on Friday afternoons, replacing the Second Practice Session (FP2).

Whether you’re a die-hard F1 fan or a casual Netflix fan, the F1 Sprint has added more on-track action and entertainment to a race weekend.

Here’s how the Sprint weekend schedule breaks down:

The Sprint results do not determine the starting grid for Sunday’s race. The Grand Prix grid is decided by Saturday’s Qualifying session, which follows the Sprint.

This means both events stand alone — the Sprint provides its own thrill and championship points, while the Grand Prix unfolds as usual the next day.

Yes! Points from the Sprint count toward both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

Sprint Qualifying follows a three-part knockout format, similar to standard Qualifying but shorter and more intense:

• SQ1 – 12 minutes
• SQ2 – 10 minutes
• SQ3 – 8 minutes

There are seven-minute breaks between sessions. The five slowest drivers are eliminated after SQ1 and SQ2, leaving the top 10 to fight for the Sprint Pole in SQ3.

Each segment requires fresh tyres:

• Mediums for SQ1 and SQ2
• Softs for SQ3

With limited time, teams typically have only one chance to set a fast lap, putting pressure on drivers to nail it immediately.

With only one hour of practice before Sprint Qualifying, teams must optimise their setups fast. Preparation at the factory becomes even more critical during Sprint weekends.

Parc fermé rules — which limit major car changes — were revised for the Sprint format. Cars enter parc fermé at the start of Sprint Qualifying and remain under those restrictions until the end of the Sprint.

After that, teams can make further adjustments before Grand Prix Qualifying. Once Qualifying begins, parc fermé is reactivated for the rest of the weekend.

This extra flexibility allows teams to fine-tune setups for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, which often demand different approaches.