The first sprint of this season is here, but it brings many changes! Riders will be able to earn many more points, the name is also changing

Formula 1 fans are in for the first sprint of the season! They already made their debut last season, but in 2022 the sprint rules are changing, and rather significantly. The changes not only affect the scoring, the title or the awarding of pole position, but also many other things.

Formula 1 has determined that fans will see three sprints in the 2022 season. The first one will be witnessed now in Imola on the occasion of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The other two will take place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, and the third at Interlagos in Brazil.

Meanwhile, the queen of motorsport originally aimed for at least six sprints to take place in 2022. The others were to be hosted by countries such as Bahrain, the Netherlands and Canada. In any case, that plan was abandoned by Formula 1 as part of a compromise over the level of compensation for accident damage that teams believe could be incurred in sprint races.

Under the current regulations, each team is allowed to spend $150,000 more per sprint race, with an additional $100,000 for teams to spend if they withdraw from a sprint race. In doing so, if there is very significant damage to the monoposto, F1 has stipulated that further adjustments to the regulations can be made to make the amount cover the damage caused by the accident.

However, the sprints have achieved other somewhat more significant changes, the biggest being undoubtedly the scoring of the sprint itself. Last year the winner of the sprint was awarded three points, the second place rider two points and the third place rider one point.

The big change then is that there will be eight drivers scoring points at the finish of the sprint, and they will split the points as follows. The winner will collect 8 points, second 7, third 6, fourth 5, fifth 4, sixth 3, seventh 2 and eighth 1.

Another new feature is the name change. Sprint Qualifying or Sprint Qualifying – these are terms we could have encountered just last year. For the 2022 season, however, F1 has simplified the name and this Saturday’s performance will be called ‘Sprint’.

Essentially, this Sprint is a shortened race and is applied to many other racing series. For example, the F2 championship has been running this way for some time now, with drivers covering 120 kilometres in the sprint race and 170 kilometres in the main race on Sunday.

F1 introduced sprints as a result of making the race weekend more attractive, not least because the promoters of the grand prix in question enjoy greater profits. Initially, the F1 management also considered a “reverse grid”. However, this was firmly rejected by the teams and fans in particular.

In the 2022 season, each sprint will be scheduled for 100 kilometres and will last approximately 25-30 minutes. The order of finish for the sprints will be decided by the qualifying session on Friday afternoon. Another change, however, is that the winner of the sprint will not also be the official pole position holder, although they will start the main race on Sunday from the first position.

This is because F1 has reverted to the tradition of the pole position prize going to the winner of Friday’s qualifying, although Saturday’s sprint determines the order for Sunday’s grand prix.

So how will the race weekend be structured with regard to the sprint races? Formula 1 will start classically with free practice on Friday, followed, of course, by qualifying. Saturday’s action will then continue with a second practice session and a sprint race, with the highlight of the weekend of course being the main race on Sunday.

Sources