The highest category of motorsport incorporated a new session to the weekends of a grand prix last season, the criticized sprint races, which consisted of a normal Formula 1 appointment, but instead of covering the entire distance, it would be just a third of the usual tests, that is, about 100 kilometers.
However, instead of having such a race and the main one on the same Sunday, it would be held on Saturday, leaving qualifying for Fridays , with only one free practice session in the morning. After tests carried out in 2021 and 2022, the FIA confirmed that for the next course, the fastest single-seaters on the planet will have to compete in six sprint races.
Despite the fact that the teams and owners of the category had already agreed that they would add more sessions of this style, the international federation, with its president by flag, Mohammed ben Sulayem , defended that they would not do so due to the enormous extra cost. what that would entail, even his stance angered many over the “greed” behind the ruling body’s decision.
Motor, the plan to raise the number of Formula 1 sprint races to six was approved. The president of the Great Circus, Stefano Domenicali , welcomed the project, since initially he hoped to host such a number of appointments before They canceled it for not reaching a financial agreement with the teams.
On the approval by the FIA, the Italian said: “I am pleased that we can confirm that six sprints will be part of the calendar from 2023, building on the success of the new format first introduced in 2021.
“The sprints offer action across three days, with the drivers fighting for something from the start on Friday through to the main test on Sunday, adding more drama and excitement to the weekend,” he continued. “The response from fans, teams, promoters and partners has been very positive, and the format is giving a new dimension to Formula 1, and we all want to ensure its future success.”
Confirmation that there will be six sprint races means the Big Circus will be able to consider where best to hold those events. This season, Imola, Austria and Brazil were chosen, but the initial plan included Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
The general opinion is that sprint races are better in places where overtaking is easier.
For his part, FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem added that the governing body had adjusted their work to ensure they could cope with the additional load: “Thanks to the close collaboration with Stefano Domenicali and our colleagues at FOM , we have completed a comprehensive analysis on the impact of the additional sprint sessions, and have adjusted the relevant parameters of our work to ensure that they continue to be regulated at the highest level.”
“Sprint racing provides an exciting weekend dynamic, and has proven popular over the last two seasons. I am sure that positive trend will continue, and I am pleased that the World Motor Sport Council has today given its approval for keep going”, explained the head of the international federation. “No commercial agreement has changed between the FIA and the FOM in relation to the sprint sessions.”
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