Formula 1 will double the number of ‘sprint’ events to six next season after an agreement was reached.
The teams and F1 had agreed to the increase back in April but that was temporarily put on hold by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem amid concerns over staff workload. ‘Sprint’ events differ from normal grand prix weekends by holding a shorter race on a Saturday, with qualifying on a Friday setting the grid for that event.
The result of the shorter sprint would then determine the grid order for the main grand prix, with points also available for the top eight finishers. However, the FIA had asked for time to assess what the impact would be on its staff if an increase in ‘sprints’ was to go ahead.