F1 Sprint races are set to be increased to six locations in the 2023 calendar. Announcing the news, Formula One President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said he welcomed the increase to six events, next year. Sprint races were introduced in Formula One in 2021 and continued this year. The 2023 season will have sprint races at Austin, Spa, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Sao Paulo, and Austria.
Sprint races have always sprung surprising results in both the Qualifying sessions and the final sprint races which decide the starting grid for the actual race. Brazilian GP featured the third and final sprint race of this year, where Kevin Magnussen claimed a sensational maiden pole position in a rain-hit qualifying session on Friday. He did however lose the Sprint race which was eventually won by George Russell who also won the main race.
Stefano Announces Updated Sprint Races
CEO and President Stefano mentioned his pleasure in getting a positive reaction to the F1 Sprint races last year and this year. Austin will be one of the locations to hold a sprint race for the first time. Stefano also mentioned how the introduction of sprint races has created three days of competitive racing action throughout the weekend.
He mentioned it not only brings more entertainment to fans of the sport but also brings additional value to stakeholders including the teams themselves, broadcasters, partners, and venues.
President of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem chimed in as well, adding how he is pleased to reveal the six sprint events scheduled for next year. The decision follows a successful collaboration and agreement between the FIA and FOM, and the approval of the World Motor Sport Council for the 2023 season.
F1 2023 Season Sprint Race Dates
Here are the details of the Sprint races at each of the six locations, next season:
| Grand Prix | Circuit | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Azerbaijan | Baku City Circuit | April 28-30 |
| Austria | Red Bull Ring | June 30 – July 2 |
| Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps | July 28-30 |
| Qatar | Losail Circuit | October 06-08 |
| United States | Circuit of The Americas | October 20-22 |
| Sao Paulo | Interlagos | November 3-5 |
The total number of these laps is subject to change depending on various factors like weather. Weather permitting, the laps will be completed or they will mostly be calculated according to the time left for the session to be completed, if delayed by rain.
F1 2022 Sprint Races And Results
This year saw sprint races held in three venues – Emilia Romagna GP, Austrian GP, and the final sprint race held at the penultimate race, Brazil GP. Double World Champion Max Verstappen made a clean sweep through the Emilia Romagna GP. Max won the Qualifiers, Sprint race, and eventually the race itself.
While Max won yet again at the Qualifiers and the Sprint race at the Austrian GP weekend, it was eventually Charles Leclerc who won the Austrian GP. Max ended the race in 2nd position, on his way to a dominating season.
It was the third and final sprint race of the season where the drama unfolded. At the Brazilian GP weekend, the Qualifying session was hit by rain. Q1 started on a wet note, but soft compounds soon appeared and Lando Norris ended up leading Q1. Max Verstappen roared back in Q2 by topping the timings.
Two minutes into Q3, Kevin Magnussen topped the timings. George Russell locked up at the same time and ended up stopping his Mercedes at Turn 5, which brought out the red flag for the session for the time being. A while later, there was another outpour of rain which avoided drivers from going out on slicks. Eventually, Kevin’s lap couldn’t be beaten and he ended up getting the first pole position of his career.
With the three sprint races bringing enough entertainment for fans throughout the weekend, fans can only wait to see even more of the same next year. The 2023 Formula One season starts 5th of March next year.
