The Formula One calendar will feature their first sprint races for the upcoming season at the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and the renowned Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium.
US, Belgium Listed as Potential Hosts for 2023 F1 Sprint Races
F1 confirmed the hosts on Wednesday after pledging to increase the number of sprints from three to six.
Prior to the major Grand Prix the following day, the sprint races are held on Saturdays. Sprints determine the starting grid for the following day’s race and are held over shorter distances with less points. Since they were initially tested in 2021, they have been credited with improving the appeal of the race weekend to TV viewers as a whole. When a sprint is scheduled, qualifying is moved from Saturday to Friday.
Next season’s sprints will also take place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Austrian Grand Prix, returning Qatar Grand Prix, and Brazilian Grand Prix in addition to Austin and Spa. Two of the three sprints were held in 2022 at venues in Austria and Brazil, and Brazil also served as the venue for the original 2021 trial.
The regular one-hour qualifying session for F1 Sprint is moved to Friday instead, establishing the grid for a 100-kilometer sprint on Saturday that determines the starting lineup for Sunday’s main event.
The Sprints will take place in the following locations the next year: Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan, Red Bull Ring in Austria, Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Losail Circuit in Qatar, Circuit of The Americas in the United States, and Sao Paulo (Interlagos).
The United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and the prestigious Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium will host the first sprint races on the Formula One schedule for the 2017 season.
Following a promise to expand the amount of sprints from three to six, F1 officially announced the hosts on Wednesday.
The sprint races take place on Saturdays, the day before the big Grand Prix the following day. Sprints are raced over shorter distances with fewer points and serve to establish the starting grid for the subsequent day’s race. They’ve been praised for enhancing the attraction of the race weekend to TV viewers generally since since they were first tested in 2021. When sprint is planned, qualifying is shifted from Saturday to Friday.