The FIA Formula 1 World Championship launched Saturday dash races in 2021, initially referred to as “Sprint Qualifying” to tell apart it from the primary race on Sunday. The new format was divisive and complicated for followers. Traditional qualifying was nonetheless held to find out the beginning order for the dash race, however the dash’s outcomes would then set the Sunday beginning grid and the dash race winner was credited with a pole place. So, F1 has now determined to make the dash race a standalone occasion inside a Grand Prix weekend.
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Formula 1’s new Sprint format will see Saturday’s follow session scrapped for a second qualifying session particularly for the dash race. Friday will nonetheless embrace a free follow session and qualifying for Sunday’s race. Saturday shall be solely dedicated to the Sprint. The day will open with the Sprint Shootout, the dash race’s qualifying session, and the Sprint itself. The new qualifying session replaces Saturday’s free follow session. Sunday shall be unchanged.
The Sprint Shootout is an abbreviated model of the prevailing three-round knockout qualifying session. The session won’t be a half-hour lengthy, in comparison with an hour lengthy for conventional qualifying. The guidelines state SQ1 is ready to run for 12 minutes, SQ2 for 10 minutes and SQ3 for eight minutes. There may also be a mandate for tire compound utilization. Teams shall be required to used medium compound tires in Q1 and Q2, and smooth compound tires in Q3.
The format adjustments mirror the dash race format utilized in MotoGP and intend to encourage aggressiveness on Saturday. Drivers solely longer have their Sunday beginning place on the road through the dash race. Though, grid penalties acquired through the dash race shall be utilized on Sunday. The new format will see its debut at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Source: jalopnik.com