Star wrote: ↑1 year ago
Everso Biggyballies wrote: ↑1 year ago
New Format Proposed for Sprint race weekends.
I know I for one was always very anti the whole Sprint Race concept and in particular the format where the Sprint race sets the qualifying / grid for the GP, and the whole business of a Practice session after qualifying.
Well it seems the format is about to change. Nothing firmed yet but a new concept has been agreed by the teams and the forces that be. It just needs to be ratified and confirmed. I dont think it answers all the issues of the old format but it seems to counter my main worry or the Sprint race results setting the race grid. Those days it seems are numbered.
Sprint race events already / previously featured two practice sessions instead of the usual three, as the extra race took up one of the practice slots.
The proposal seems to suggest that F1 intends to reduce that to a single hour for the first sprint event in Azerbaijan, turning second practice into a dedicated qualifying session for the sprint race later that afternoon. This would mean Friday’s qualifying session sets the starting order for Sunday’s grand prix.
The exact details of the plan are yet to be announced, including the format of the extra qualifying session. However Vasseur says the scheme enjoys the support of F1’s teams.
So a bit of a "watch this space" but changes are set to be confirmed within a week. What they are suggesting in principle seems an improvement though Qualy for the GP on Sunday seems a bit separated.
Hold on, I'm probably being thick here, but does that mean they will qualify on Friday and use that qualifying for both the sprint race and the main race? Or FP2 is qualifying for the sprint race and then they will do another qualifying for the main race? Sorry, I'm just struggling to wrap my head around it. It's probably me, I'm struggling with a lot of things today
Friday Qualifying is now used to set the grid for the Sunday (Main) race. Just like qualifying on a normal non Sprint weekend except its on Friday
The 2nd practice (which in earlier sprints was after qualifying on the Saturday morning, before the Sprint race) becomes qualifying for the Sprint race only.
So think of everything on Saturday is now Sprint race related. Nothing that affects the main race happens now on a Saturday.
(Other than in the case of a car being destroyed in a crash on Saturday and not being able to start the actual Grand Prix on Sunday)
So each race now has its own qualifying and grid positions.... the grid positions for the main race are no longer based on how they finish the Sprint race.
Basically the Sprint race is now just an additional shorter race during the weekend. It has no purpose in terms of the rest of the weekend.
I dont mind now having an extra race that is independent from the rest of the weekend..... other than it scores 8 points for the winner down to 1 for 8th.
Thus as
@MonteCristo implies it will likely in real life accelerate and grow the gap between Max / Red Bull and the rest. The gap from first to second right through to last in the WDC / WCC will grow quicker than normal.
Its an improvement to me personally in as much as the Sprint race no longer sets the main race grid, and we resort back to the normal (albeit now Friday) fastest qualifier sets a proper pole for the main race.