Formula One has confirmed the six venues that will host sprint races in the 2023 season. The sport will retain the current format for the sprint weekends in which the shortened 100km race will decide the grid for the grand prix on a Sunday.
The sprint race was introduced in 2021 and since then has been held at three meetings each year. F1 has been eager to expand the concept and next year sprint meetings will be held in Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, the United States and Brazil. Of the six only Brazil and Austria have previously held sprint events.
Next season the weekends will proceed as they have in 2022. Qualifying will be held on a Friday, with the quickest driver claiming pole position for the weekend. That session will decide the grid for the sprint race on a Saturday contested over a 100km distance, usually equating to a race of approximately 30 minutes.
Points will be awarded to the top eight drivers on a sliding scale from eight points for the win. The fundamental issue of the driver who wins the race not being counted as having taken pole position for the grand prix itself, despite starting from the front of the grid, remains an awkward and unwieldy construction.
F1 considers the format to have been a great success in its opening two years and it is widely supported by race promoters, who enjoy an additional competitive session on a Friday, and similarly by broadcasters. F1 states it has increased revenue and audiences, with Friday qualifying replacing second practice, which has limited appeal.
However the general reaction from fans has been less enthusiastic. The majority of the races held thus far have been pedestrian at best, with drivers unwilling to take risks for fear of compromising their race on a Sunday. Equally the tense jeopardy of qualifying, the test under pressure in the single lap discipline, is a challenge many –drivers included – prefer.
F1 is known to want to further adjust the format, making the sprint an entirely standalone race, with its own qualifying session in order to encourage drivers to race more competitively. While that will not be adopted next season it remains under consideration for future years.
The new venues were chosen after research into how suitable circuits would be for short-format racing. F1 has emphasised the need for overtaking opportunities, close racing and high-speed sections as crucial to making for a successful sprint.
