Six Sprints To Be Included On F1 Calendar
Exciting news for F1 fans is an announcement by sporting director Ross Brawn that from next season, six sprint race meetings will be included as part of the annual roster.
Brawn said while the idea is to test the concept already this year, with two sprint races already declared a success, its almost certain that the pole position for future races will still be determined from qualifying times rather than a sprint skirmish on a Saturday.
The two sprint races held so far were staged at Monza and Silverstone, with a third planned for Brazil in two weeks from now. This particular format features a qualifying round for determining the sprint, after which the results are used to determine the grid for the GP. Also, the top three drivers during the sprint are then awarded three, two, and one championship points.
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The only remaining criticism due to be resolved right now, explained Brawn, is that of the pole position being awarded to the driver who set the fastest lap during qualifying. He said something nobody considered when the format was first created is the consistent belief among fans as well as drivers that Fridays should be determining pole positions for sprint weekends. Brawn said he felt optimistic about this remaining part of the format.
With not too much happening around the sprint races this year, much remains to be finally decided about the new format. The venues, too, for spring meetings to be held in 2022, are yet to be decided.
