The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the first of three race weekends in the 2022 F1 season to hold a Sprint Race. Max Verstappen won the first Sprint of the season, which took place on the Saturday of the racing weekend and consisted of 21 laps. His win on Saturday gave him Pole Position for Sunday’s main race. The Sprint Race format is relatively new to Formula One, after making its debut at the Silverstone Grand Prix in 2021. The Sprint is an exciting race to watch, but what exactly is its purpose? And what difference does it make to the race weekend?
What is a Sprint Race?
The Sprint, as its name would suggest, is a fast-paced, non-stop race between the drivers on the grid. The Sprint totals to around 100KM, rather than the usual 305KM distance of the main race. For the drivers, a shorter distance race means that they can drive flat-out without having to pit, although they can if they wish. For the viewers, it means that we have another thrilling race to watch over the weekend rather than just on a Sunday!
When Does a Sprint Race Take Place?
The F1 Sprint disturbs the traditional schedule of a race weekend, with the first Free Practice and knock-out Qualifying taking place on the Friday. The format of Qualifying does not change on a Sprint weekend. Instead of deciding the order of the grid for the race on Sunday, it determines the order of the grid for the Sprint. So, as usual, drivers that make it to Q3 will start at the front of the Grid. On the Saturday, drivers will have their second and final Free Practice of the weekend, followed by the Sprint. The results of the Sprint will set the grid for the final race on the Sunday, which remains unchanged.
How Are They Scored?
The points scoring system for the Sprint race gives points to the drivers who placed from 1st to 8th, with the driver who won scoring eight points, and the driver in eighth scoring one point. These points all count towards the Drivers’ Championship, and so far, this season Verstappen is the only driver who scored the maximum points available over a Sprint weekend. He won eight points for winning the Sprint, 25 points for winning the race on Sunday and received one point for the fastest lap of the Grand Prix.
When is the Next Sprint?
There are only three Sprint weekends scheduled for this season of F1, the others taking place in Austria and Brazil. Calls have been made for more Sprint races in the future, and whether you love the Sprint race or hate it, it cannot be denied that having an extra race to watch over a Grand Prix weekend is something we can all look forward to.
The Sprint will return at the Grosser Preis Von Österreich Grand Prix in Austria from the 8th-10th of July 2022. While fans wait until then for non-stop racing from lights out to the chequered flag, there are six Grand Prix weekends ahead of us to satisfy our F1 hunger! F1 will be back, in Miami, from the 6th-8th May 2022.