Formula One fans are eagerly awaiting the first Sprint Qualifying session of the season in order to get a taste of what the new format will bring to the sport.
With just 10 days until the new Sprint action takes form at the British Grand Prix, organisers have revealed what the new set up will look like.
It was previously confirmed that the new format will see every driver race 100km on Saturday afternoon, with the results from this deciding the pecking order for Sunday’s main event.
The top three finishers during Sprint Qualifying will also receive points – three for 1st place, two for 2nd, and 1 for third.
Saturday’s grid will be decided on Friday, by using the current format seen on a Saturday, and there will be a 60-minute practice session on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Parc Fermé conditions will apply from the start of Qualifying on Friday, to stop the construction of special Qualifying cars, limit the number of hours required for preparing the car for the following day, and allow enough reconfiguration of the cars to make Saturday morning Free Practice a useful session.
Here’s how the first Sprint Qualifying session will play out at Silverstone:
Friday
- FP1: 14:30-15:30
- Qualifying: 18:00-19:00
Saturday
- FP2: 12:00-13:00
- Sprint Qualifying: 16:30-17:00
Sunday
- Race: 15:00
When the topic of Sprint qualifying was put to McLaren chief executive Zak Brown, he told Sky Sports that he believes the ongoing talks around bringing in sprint-race trials in F1 in 2021 should be seen as a positive step for the sport.
“Everyone is in favour of the concept of trying something new.
“It’s looking like we’ll maybe do it at two or three races this year.
“What’s important is that it’s an equal playing field in the sense of no reverse grids or anything artificial, but then we do something different so it differentiates itself from Sunday’s race. The working group is inputting into that.
“I’m encouraged. Anytime you have something new you try it. If it works you keep doing it, if it doesn’t you either change it up or you don’t do it anymore.
“I think it’s only a positive for the sport.”
