The new Sprint weekend format is having a premiere this weekend of the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The sprint race format was first introduced with the intention of adding excitement to some races, by providing venues with the opportunity to feature three days of competitive running.
Six Sprint weekends are scheduled for the 2023 Formula One campaign with the first one taking place this weekend at the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan.
This season, the Sprint format has been revamped to add even more excitement to the already thrilling world of Formula One. In an effort to spice things up, the second practice session, which typically takes place on Saturday, has been scrapped and replaced with a sprint shootout.
The Sprint Shootout Qualifying is divided into three sections, like a Grand Prix qualifying we're all familiar with. During the first two rounds, the slowest five cars are eliminated, leaving the remaining ten to battle it out for the top starting positions. That's not all - teams are required to use the same mandatory tyre assigned to each respective round of the sprint shootout, adding an extra layer of strategy to the mix.
This new format promises to deliver a level of excitement we've never seen before. With four practice sessions, the teams will have to rely on their skills and knowledge of the track to secure a top starting position. Every lap counts - one wrong move could mean the difference between a top-10 starting position and starting from the back of the back of the pack.
The teams went into sprint qualifying pretty much in the unknown due to the higher temperatures in the streets of Baku. Pierre Gasly encountered technical issues during Sprint Shootout Qualifying 1 (SQ1) causing him to pit and dropping out of the session. SQ1 has been red-flagged some 25 seconds before its scheduled finish as Logan Sargeant crashed. The Williams driver not only denied his competitors the possibility of improving their lap times but also presented his mechanics with the perhaps impossible task of making his car ready for this afternoon. The American's best SQ1 time was enough for SQ2, placing him 15th for the Sprint Race later today.
With Best app and dropping the timesheets in SQ2, Alonso towed Stroll and pushed Oscar Piastri in the McLaren into the elimination zone. Lando Norris in the second McLaren car ended up tenth despite not being able to take part in the SQ3 as he did not have a new set of soft tyres available.
SQ3 offered some exciting laps as Charles Leclerc took the provisional pole after his first run, tapping the wall as he lost the rear end of his Ferrari on his second, denying him of improving his initial time. The Red Bulls didn't manage to beat Leclerc's time, meaning the Monégasque secured his second pole position of the weekend and the fourth consecutive here in Baku. The two Red Bull drivers: Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen will be lining up second and third, respectively, with George Russell in fourth.
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