Liberty Media’s entry into Formula 1 It didn’t just mean new owners, but a lot of changes. One of the most bombastic occurred in the 2021 campaign, in which the sprint race. Held on Saturdays, this has given a weekend twist by offering competition on consecutive days.
Sprint races are a session in which all cars cover a distance of at least 100 kilometers without having to pit to change tyres. The result in 2021 and 2022 determined the starting order for the regular Sunday race, but this has changed from 2023. Sunday’s starting position is set on Friday, while Saturday is all sprint: first a qualifier, called the sprint shootout, plus the sprint.
What hasn’t changed are the delivery points. In 2021 it awarded only the first three, while from 2022 it was extended to the first eight places. The winner collects 8 points. The first event was held at the British Grand Prix and was a success. Max Verstappen.
More | What is the sprint format of Formula 1?
Who is the driver with the most wins in the F1 sprint race?
In the inaugural season in 2021, the sprint race was held in three events: Great Britain, Italy and Brazil. As mentioned, Max Verstappen triumphed at Silverstone, while the next two were left to Valtteri Botas. The Dutchman won two in 2022 (Emilia-Romania and Austria) to top the overall table.
On 27 September 2022, the World Motor Sport Council approved that in the 2023 Formula 1 season the number of sprint races increased from 3 to 6 in total. These will happen in Azerbaijan (April 29), Austria (July 1), Belgium (July 29), Qatar (October 7), United States (October 21) and Brazil (November 4).
The first winner of 2023 was Czech Perez, who prevailed in Baku and added his name to the list of winners of this type of competition. Months later, in Austria, Max Verstappen added his fourth victory with authority.
| pos. | Pilot | victories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen (Netherlands) | 4 |
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas (Finland) | 2 |
| 3 | George Russell (Great Britain) | 1 |
| Checo Perez (Mexico) | 1 |
