In the 2023 season, six stages are scheduled in the format with a qualifying on Friday and a sprint on Saturday – in Baku, Spielberg, Spa, Qatar, Austin and Sao Paulo. Formula 1 owner Liberty Media has proposed a new format for the sprint race weekend to the teams.
The new format includes two separate qualifications. On Friday, one practice and qualifying are scheduled, in which the starting positions of the main race on Sunday are played out. The winner of Friday’s qualifying will be considered the pole winner and the results will not be taken into account when placing cars at the start of Saturday’s sprint.
On Saturday, instead of training, it is proposed to hold the second qualification, in which the starting positions in the sprint and the sprint itself will be played.
In Formula 1, however, to hold the new format of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the end of April. To do this, it is planned to hold an electronic vote in two weeks’ time on making the necessary amendments to the rules. Liberty Media has already enlisted teams’ support, but potential problems could arise with Pirelli.
Italian tire manufacturers have already sent the required number of sets of tires to Baku and are refusing to produce and ship additional rubber. To solve this problem, Formula 1 offers a number of options so that each driver has enough twelve sets of tires as standard.
One of the options is a different format for Saturday qualifying, where each rider can only do one fast lap. Another option is to halve the duration of each of the three qualifying sessions on Friday. Another option is to limit the number of kits a rider can use in each session.
The final decision has not yet been made – negotiations are ongoing.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
