F1: Series confirms Sprint format tweaks for 2023 season (Update)

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Questions we have on the new format:

1. How will Sprint Race wins be shown on a driver’s record? We assume they will not be counted as Grand Prix Wins, so what will be their significance?
2. How will Sprint Pole Position wins be shown on a driver’s record? We assume they will not be counted as F1 poles, so what will be their significance?
3. When will Parc Ferme rules (no changes to the car) go into effect –  After Friday GP qualifying, after the Sprint Race Qualifying, or after the Sprint race? If Parc Ferme rules go into effect on Friday, and your car is ‘shit’ on Friday, are you stuck with it that way for both Saturday and Sunday?  In other words, if your car is bad on Day 1, is the rest of your weekend ruined, or can the car be changed/improved on Saturday, and until what point?

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Formula 1 has confirmed adjustments to the F1 Sprint format for the six sprint race weekends in 2023, beginning with this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The new format will be used for the first time this weekend in Azerbaijan, the first of the six sprint weekends on the 2023 schedule:

1. Baku
2. Austrian
3. Belgian
4. Qatar
5. USA (Austin)
6. São Paulo.

Fridays will now include an FP1 session and standard qualifying session to set the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix, while Saturdays will include the continuing 100km race with an additional, preceding qualifying session called the ‘Sprint Shootout’.

The Sprint Qualifying shootout will be a shorter session than traditional qualifying, with SQ1 set to run for 12 minutes, SQ2 for 10 minutes and SQ3 for eight minutes, and replaces the previous FP2 seen on the Saturday morning of Sprint weekends. New tires are mandatory for each phase, with mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, and softs for SQ3.

Points for the F1 Sprint race remain the same, with eight handed out to the winner, seven to second place, six to third and so on down to one in eighth – both drivers and teams will log points in their respective championships.

Penalties will be applied as follows:

• A grid penalty incurred in P1 or Qualifying will apply to the Race
• A grid penalty incurred in the Shootout will apply to the Sprint
• A grid penalty incurred in the Sprint will apply to the Race
• A breach of parc ferme will result in a pitlane start for the Sprint and Race
• PU penalties will only apply to the Race (unless they are also a parc ferme breach)

In addition, a breach of parc feme will result in a pit lane start for the Sprint and race, while power unit-related penalties will only apply to the race, unless they are also a parc ferme breach.

As a result of the Sprint Race changes, approval was given to increase the number of internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger, MGU-H and MGU-K elements for 2023 only from three to four.