Formula 1, full steam ahead on sprint races: the announcement

Reduced Saturday races will double starting next Formula 1 season

The World Motorsport Council has approved the doubling of the Formula 1 World Championship Sprint Races, which will increase from three to six from next season and thus affect one weekend out of four on the 2023 World Championship calendar.

Satisfied Fia President Ben Sulayem: “The confirmation that from the 2023 season of the FIA Formula One World Championship there will be six race weekends featuring the Sprint format is another example of the continued growth and prosperity of top-level motorsport. Working closely with Stefano Domenicali and our colleagues at FOM, we have concluded a thorough analysis of the impact of the additional Sprint sessions and have adjusted the parameters of our work to ensure that they continue to be regulated at the highest level. Sprint sessions provide an exciting dynamic to the race weekend and have proven to be very popular.”

Thus F1 CEO Domenicali: “The Sprint weekend offers action over three days, with drivers fighting for something from the start on Friday to the main event on Sunday, adding more emphasis to the weekend. Feedback from fans, teams, promoters and partners has been very positive and the format is adding a new dimension to Formula 1, and we all want to ensure its success in the future.” On the affected weekends, Sprint Races will be held Saturday afternoon, while official qualifying will be brought forward to Friday evening.