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An even greater bet for the show. That is what Formula 1 promises with the new sprint format, which will debut this weekend in Azerbaijan and will be repeated in five other Grands Prix this season.

It is a proposal with less free practice and more qualifying sessions. "It will reinforce the spectacle of sprint weekends and enhance the on-track action for fans around the world," the FIA said in a joint statement with promoter Formula One.

The drivers will only run one free practice session during the weekend, on Friday morning, followed by classic qualifying in the afternoon to determine the Grand Prix starting grid on Sunday.

Saturday's day will be dedicated to sprinting. The riders will take to the track for a second qualifying session (called 'Sprint Shootout'), on the same model as Friday's but shorter, which will determine the starting order for the sprint race to be held on the same day.

The format debuting in Baku will also be used at five other Grands Prix: Austria (July 2), Belgium (July 30), Qatar (October 8), the United States (Austin, October 22) and Brazil (November 5).

Changes in Formula 1

This change of format comes two years after the arrival of sprint races in the premier class. Until now, on sprint weekends, the drivers disputed classic qualifications, that is, time trial, on Friday, which defined the starting order of a 100-kilometer race on Saturday, which in turn defined the starting grid of the GP on Sunday.

According to the FIA, the new format "will encourage drivers to get around on Saturday" as they did not usually take all the risks during the sprint to secure their grid position for the main race.

The sprint race thus becomes an independent event whose results will have no consequences on the GP starting grid. The allocation of points at the end of the sprint does not change: only the first eight riders will score points.

The weekend also had two free rehearsal sessions; the first (FP1) run on Friday before qualifying and the second (FP2) the next day before the sprint. If the first is maintained, the second disappears.

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