(Motorsport) Formula 1 has announced that six sprint events will take place from the 2023 season onwards after reaching an agreement with the World Motor Sport Council, despite the FIA initially suggesting that they remain with the existing three. As per the sprint format, a shorter race will be held on Saturday before the Grand Prix with the results determining the grid positions for the main event. The venues for the sprint events will be announced in due course while F1 also announced a 24 race calendar for 2024.

F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said “I am pleased that we can confirm six Sprints will be part of the Championship from 2023 onwards, building on the success of the new format introduced for the first time in 2021. The Sprint provides action across three days with the drivers all fighting for something right from the start on Friday through to the main event on Sunday – adding more drama and excitement to the weekend. The feedback from the fans, teams, promoters, and partners has been very positive and the format is adding a new dimension to Formula 1, and we all want to ensure its success in the future." 

Initially, the plan to introduce six sprint events was proposed for the 2022 season but the idea was scrapped after opposition from teams due to costs. However, all teams have agreed for six sprint events for the 2023 season despite the FIA refusing to give their own approval over their own financial concerns. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said “The confirmation that six race weekends featuring Sprint will take place from the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship season onwards is another example of the continued growth and prosperity at the highest level of motor sport.

“Thanks to close collaboration with Stefano Domenicali and our colleagues at FOM, we concluded a thorough analysis on the impact of additional Sprint sessions, and have adjusted relevant parameters of our work to ensure that they continue to be regulated at the very highest level. Sprint sessions provide an exciting dynamic to the race weekend format and have proven to be popular over the past two seasons – I am sure that this positive trend will continue and am pleased that the World Motor Sport Council has today given its approval for them to go ahead." 

The sprint format is nothing but a mini version of the race that is held on Sunday with drivers racing a distance of 100km (a third of the usual race) for grid slots in Sunday’s event. This season, Max Verstappen has won both the sprint races that were held so far (in Imola and Austria), taking a maximum eight points while the final sprint event of the season will take place in Brazil. The qualifying stage, which is usually held on Saturday, takes place on Friday with the performance determining where each team starts the sprint event on the grid. 

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