New rules for the sprint weekend pose problems for drivers

F1 News

Norris and Tsunoda in trouble due to sprint rules
28 April 2023 at 21:17
Last update 29 April 2023 at 07:28
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  • GPblog.com

The new sprint weekend format could have serious negative consequences for some drivers right from the start. Indeed, the rules for the new sprint qualifying mean that two drivers may not be able to compete in SQ3 on Saturday.

Baku marks the first time a completely new format for the sprint weekend will be used. For the past two years, the results of the sprint race determined the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday. However, that idea has now been abandoned, making the sprint race effectively a separate race in the same weekend. For both the sprint race and the Grand Prix, the starting line-up is now decided by qualifying.

However, whereas the Grand Prix is preceded by a 'normal' qualifying session on Friday, the sprint race has been given a separate format, known as the 'shoot-out'. During shoot-out qualifying for the sprint race, each session will be shorter, and each driver will have only one set of tyres at his disposal. In Q1 and Q2, that is a set of medium tyres, in Q3 it is a set of softs.

Risk at McLaren and AlphaTauri

That rule on tyres is where the devil is. This is because the rules state that each driver must use new, unused tyres in each block of qualifying. For Q1 and Q2, that won't be a problem at all, as each driver has at least three sets of unused medium tyres left.

Should Yuki Tsunoda and Lando Norris enter Q3, however, they will be in trouble. This is because they do not have any new sets of softs left. According to the letter of the law, they would then not be allowed to take part in the final session of qualifying. How harshly this rule will be enforced is still unclear, as well as what the exact consequences of not participating will be. In any case, the teams seem to have made the choice to prioritise the Grand Prix over the sprint race.