This weekend will mark the return of the F1 Sprint format at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. In case you haven’t been following the other Sprint events this season, there have been a few changes made to the way it was run a year ago, including the introduction of a new points system. This is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about what to anticipate, beginning with qualifying on Friday and continuing through the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon…
Where exactly are we going to be able to watch F1 Sprint this year?
Given the pressures that will be placed on the teams as a result of the introduction of sweeping changes to the aerodynamic rules, the FIA stated that it had been decided to keep the same number of Sprint events for 2022 following a review of the three Sprint events that took place in the previous year.
Imola and the Red Bull Ring have both hosted competitions in this year’s version of the format, but this time around the venues have been switched around.
And this weekend, the Grand Prix of Sao Paulo gets its second helping of F1 Sprint, after Interlagos played host to Lewis Hamilton’s stunning comeback drive that saw the seven-time world champion make up 15 places in just 24 laps. The Sao Paulo Grand Prix gets its second helping of F1 Sprint this coming weekend (watch below).
Six sprint races are scheduled to be included on the Formula One schedule starting with the upcoming season.
What kind of format is it?
The F1 Sprint will be a 100-kilometer dash like it was last year, but there will be no mandatory pit stops. Instead, drivers will race nonstop until the checkered flag is waved.
On the other hand, this year there will be a great deal more at stake, as points will be given out to the top eight drivers (previously it was the top three).
MUST-SEE: Get all the angles as McLaren completes the first pit stop in 2022 to finish in under two seconds.
With the introduction of a sliding scale, the driver who finishes in first place will now receive eight points instead of the previous three, and eighth place will only earn one point. These points will carry over into the championships for both the drivers and the constructors.
The traditional structure of the Grand Prix will not be altered, so the order in which drivers finish the F1 Sprint will continue to be used to determine their starting positions for Sunday’s main event, which is the Grand Prix.
Who will be given the starting position?
The driver who took first place in the Sprint the year before was given the privilege of starting from the front row.
On the other hand, this year, the accolade will go to the driver who clocks in the fastest time during qualifying, which on Sprint weekends takes place on Friday.
The sprint race will be begun with the pole position held by the driver who finished in the highest position on Friday. The racer who comes out on top in the Sprint will be given the pole position for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
What about getting some experience?
Because there will only be two practice sessions during Sprint weekend events, the teams will have significantly less time to fine-tune their machines in preparation for qualifying and the race.
The first one will take place on Friday, just before qualifying, and the second one will take place on Saturday, just before the Sprint.
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