“We are incredibly excited that Silverstone fans will be the first to experience the Formula One sprint qualifying format at this year’s British Grand Prix” – Stuart Pringle
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 2 months 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