Formula 1's sprint qualifying trials plan approved
Formula 1 teams and the sport's bosses have unanimously supported the plan for sprint qualifying trials this year, with the first event set for the British Grand Prix.
Following a vote at the F1 Commission on Monday, the matter drew universal support from all parties.
Although the plan still needs formal approval by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council before being put in the rule book, this should be a formality.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali welcomed the move, which he felt would deliver an added entertainment factor for fans.
"We are excited by this new opportunity that will bring our fans an even more engaging race weekend in 2021. Seeing the drivers battling it out over three days will be an amazing experience," he said.
"I am sure the drivers will relish the fight. I am delighted that all the teams supported this plan, and it is a testament to our united efforts to continue to engage our fans in new ways while ensuring we remain committed to the heritage and meritocracy of our sport."
For now F1 has not confirmed where the sprint races will be, merely stating that there will be two in Europe and one at a flyaway event.
However, it is understood that the first two sprint trials will take place at Silverstone and Monza. A final decision on the flyaway, which has long been expected to be Brazil, will be taken nearer the time.
FIA president Jean Todt believed the go-ahead for the sprint race trials was evidence of the collective power the sport has when it works together.
"F1 is showing itself to be stronger than ever with all stakeholders working together in this way, and much has been done to ensure that the sporting, technical and financial aspects of the format are fair," he said.
How the sprint race format will work
The idea is to run a Saturday 100km sprint qualifying race at three grands prix this year.
The result of this race will decide the grid for Sunday's main event, as well as offering a small number of points (3-2-1) for the top three finishers.
The weekend timetable will be as follows.
Friday:
AM: One hour FP1 session with two sets of tyres for teams to choose freely.
PM: Normal qualifying format in the afternoon with five soft tyre sets available.
Saturday:
AM: One hour FP2 session with one set of tyres for teams to choose freely.
PM: A 100km sprint qualifying race in the afternoon with two sets of tyres for teams to choose freely.
Sunday:
PM: Full distance Grand Prix with two remaining sets of tyres
In the event of wet conditions:
• Three sets of wet tyres and four sets of intermediate tyres will be available at the start of the event
• If FP1 or qualifying is wet, teams will receive an additional set of intermediates
but must return a used intermediate set prior to the sprint race.
• If the sprint qualifying is wet, teams may return one set of used wet or
intermediates after – which will then be replaced with a new set of intermediates.
• There will be a maximum of nine sets of wets and intermediates in total
New parc ferme rules
In a bid to keep costs down and prevent teams from building special qualifying cars on Friday, F1 will change the parc ferme regulations.
After the start of sprint qualifying, cars will be in full parc ferme. However, between Friday's qualifying session and the start of the sprint race, some limited changes will be allowed.
A small number of components (to be confirmed) can be swapped out and the weight distribution of the car may be altered.
The power unit and gearbox cooling may also be adjusted for ambient conditions if there is a 10 degrees centigrade swing between Friday and Saturday's qualifying/sprint race sessions.
Related video
Strong start to 2021 won't change AlphaTauri's '22 plans
Mario Andretti: America would "go crazy" over Herta in F1
Why Piastri's F1 attempt to join McLaren has risky implications
After the 2006 Formula 1 British GP, Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony was a frustrated man, despite his son - at the time a star in GP2 - had just scored a memorable double win in that weekend's feature and sprint events.
Gasly: AlphaTauri has the “right tools” to recover F1 form
Pierre Gasly believes that that his AlphaTauri Formula 1 team has the “right tools” with which to solve its recent issues.
Horner: “Timing is right” for Vettel F1 retirement
Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner believes that his former driver Sebastian Vettel has chosen the right tome to retire from Formula 1.
Zhou focused on Alfa Romeo stay in F1 2023 silly season
Zhou Guanyu says his focus lies with retaining his Formula 1 seat at Alfa Romeo for 2023 ahead of talks about his future after the summer break.
Why few would blame Leclerc if he leaves Ferrari in future
OPINION: Ferrari's numerous strategy blunders, as well as some of his own mistakes, have cost Charles Leclerc dearly in the 2022 Formula 1 title battle in the first half of the season. Though he is locked into a deal with Ferrari, few could blame Leclerc if he ultimately wanted to look elsewhere - just as Lewis Hamilton did with McLaren 10 years prior.
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbon fibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? Pat Symonds considers the alternatives to carbon fibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin F1 move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing.
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans after Vettel decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last.
Why all signs point to F1’s Monaco special relationship continuing
OPINION: With more potential venues than there are slots in future calendars, rumours have been circulating that the Monaco Grand Prix could be a casualty of F1’s expansion into new markets. But Mark Gallagher thinks this is highly unlikely.