Red Bull Motorsports
F1
Everything you need to know about F1 Sprint weekends in 2024
The F1 Sprint is back for 2024 and bringing more thrills and fireworks than ever. Here’s your quick guide to what to expect from a Sprint weekend.
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01
What is an F1 Sprint Race?
The Sprint is a short and exciting race that brings even more entertainment to fans at the circuit and watching around the world. It consists of a 100km race – about one-third of a full Grand Prix distance – and lasts about 30 minutes.
There are no mandatory pit stops – because there’s not enough time for them to be effective – which puts driver skill to the front. To encourage overtaking and on-track action, there are eight points up for grabs for the winner with the top eight drivers all scoring World Championship points.
Wheel to wheel: Max Verstappen leads Lando Norris in the Sprint
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
02
The origin story
F1 Sprint made its first appearance during the 2021 season with the first Sprint held at Silverstone followed by races at Monza and Interlagos. The goal was to add more competition and spectacle to the Grand Prix weekend, replacing a Free Practice session with a race to Qualifying was moved back to Friday and the finishing order in the Sprint determined the grid for Sunday.
The format was tweaked to replace another practice session with a quick qualifying format for the Sprint, called the Shootout, and full qualifying session for Sunday’s race. In 2024, the Shootout has been moved to Friday afternoon, with the Sprint moved to Saturday lunchtime and full Qualifying restored to Saturday afternoon.
Sergio Pérez leads the Sprint in Azerbaijan
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
03
What happens during the Sprint Shootout?
Having done Qualifying on Friday, we now get to do it all over again on Saturday. The Shootout retains the three mini-sessions of a standard Qualifying, but with shorter session times of 12 minutes (SQ1), 10 minutes (SQ2) and eight minutes (SQ3). Having shorter sessions is intended to restrict cars to one run in each session. But the potential still exists to do two runs in SQ1 and possibly SQ2, even though the timings would be very tight and dependent on the circuit. On some tracks, that will be a moot point because cars are only allowed to use one set of tyres in each Shootout session. Medium compound in SQ1 and SQ2, Soft compound in SQ3.
Sergio Pérez wins the Sprint in Azerbaijan
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
04
How does the weekend play out?
The changes to the format mean that the F1 Sprint weekend differs from a regular Grand Prix weekend. Here’s a day-by-day guide to what you can expect to see on the track.
- Friday AM: Free Practice
- Friday PM: Shootout
- Saturday AM: The Sprint
- Saturday PM: Qualifying
- Sunday PM: F1 Grand Prix
05
What points are up for grabs?
The first Sprints offered a handful of points to the top three drivers but in 2023 it became possible to score serious World Championship points in the Sprint.
- P1: 8 points
- P2: 7 points
- P3: 6 points
- P4: 5 points
- P5: 4 points
- P6: 3 points
- P7: 2 points
- P8: 1 points
Pérez takes the lead in Baku
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
06
Where will I see an F1 Sprint?
There are six F1 Sprint race weekends in 2024 with Brazil the only ever present. Austria’s Red Bull Ring hosts its third Sprint with Austin and Qatar returning. New this year are Sprints in China and Miami. The Sprint is an evolving format so expect to see more Sprints added to rounds in coming seasons.
Grand Prix
Circuit
Date
China
Shanghai International Circuit
April 19-21
Miami
Miami International Autodrome
May 3-5
Austria
Red Bull Ring
June 28-30
United States
Circuit of the Americas
October 18-20
Brazil
Interlagos
November 1-3
Qatar
Lusail International Circuit
November 29 - December 1
07
Does the Sprint have an impact on Sunday's Grand Prix?
The Sprint race finishing order doesn’t determine the grid for Sunday’s main event, but it can still have a bearing, mainly if a driver picks up a grid penalty late on or if the team needs to make major repairs after a crash. In that case, the driver has to start Sunday’s race from the pitlane as happened to Sergio Pérez in Qatar.
The main effect is on strategy and set-ups as the drivers and teams only have Friday practice to understand the circuit and work out what set-up and tyre strategy to use for the weekend. Much of that work falls to the reserve driver back in the simulator.
Max Verstappen is the number one Sprint winner
© Getty Images/Red Bul Content Pool
08
Who has the best record in Sprint races?
Max Verstappen has dominated Sprint races in the same way as he’s bossed the F1 World Championship in the past few seasons, winning seven of the 12 races to date. Valtteri Bottas has two victories, and George Russell, Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri have one each.
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