Formula One's Sprint race format has returned for 2022 and will feature for the first time this weekend at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
After initial outings in Britain, Italy and Brazil last year, the Sprint format proved successful and it will appear in Imola, Austria and Brazil this season.
Similar to the sprint race seen in feeder series Formula 2, sprint qualifying is run at one-third of a Grand Prix distance, with the grid set by a traditional qualifying session taking place on Friday.
The Sprint schedule features two practice sessions, qualifying, sprint qualifying and the race, creating more excitement and value to fans at the track and around the globe without detracting from the traditions of a Grand Prix.
The traditional qualifying format remains, but instead of informing the Grand Prix grid, the Friday session provides the sprint qualifying line-up.
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Pitstops do not feature due to the race's short length, meaning sprint qualifying will provide 25-30 minutes of pure track action across roughly 100km.
But there have been some changes to the format for 2022, responding to feedback from teams, the fans and media after the 2021 pilot races.
Points will now be given out to the top eight positions, creating more incentive for drivers to go wheel-to-wheel, with eight points given to the winner on a sliding scale to one point for eighth place.
F1 has also confirmed that, from now on, the driver who finishes the traditional qualifying session on Friday will go down in history as the driver who claimed pole position, rather than the winner of the Sprint.
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