The 2023 Formula One teams are set to kick off their first sprint race weekend of the season in Baku, Azerbaijan. Baku will be the first of six sprint races this season including Belgium, Austin, Qatar, Austria, and Brazil. To begin, the drivers will participate in Media Day on Thursday and be on the grid from Friday through Sunday. However, this week will see a format very different from the traditional one-race F1 weekend.
Read: ‘Formula One Schedule and Exciting Locations‘ for more Sprint weekends!
2017 Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix, The Presidential Press and Information Office’s of Azerbaijan, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Free Practice 1
Although the FIA describes this session as FP1, this will be the only practice session for the entire weekend. As usual, the drivers and their teams will have the ability to use the track to test new maneuvers, tyre types, and strategies. Baku is referred to as one of the most dangerous and difficult tracks on the F1 schedule, so they will be making use of this valuable practice time.
Overall, there has been some concern regarding eliminating the other two practice sessions. Several drivers have supported this new format and its fast pace. On the other hand, Max Verstappen has expressed his disapproval of the sprint races over the three-week break.
Qualifying
For the first time this season, qualifying will be held on Friday. The session will consist of three rounds as usual, and this qualifying round will set the grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday. Both Red Bulls have sat on pole position this season, but Charles Leclerc achieved pole position for the 2021 and 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Qualifying Breakdown:
Q1: 18 minutes
Break
Q2: 15 minutes
Break
Q3: 12 minutes
Sprint Race Shootout
The Sprint Race Shootout will take place on Saturday before the Sprint Race. While traditional qualifying will set the grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday, the shootout determines the starting order for the sprint race. Similar to qualifying, the sprint shootout will consist of three rounds. After the first two rounds, the slowest five drivers will be eliminated. Finally, Q3 will set the grid for the top ten drivers.
Sprint Race
On Saturday, the Sprint Race will take place following the shootout. As a result, the teams will have very little time to strategize following the shootout. The shorter race will run over 100 kilometers, which is 17 laps in Baku. However, despite the difficulty for the drivers and the teams, there may be a payback. Drivers in the top eight of the Sprint Race will be awarded points toward the World Drivers’ Championship.
Points Awarded for the Sprint Race:
1st Place: 8 points
2nd Place: 7 points
3rd Place: 6 points
4th Place: 5 points
5th Place: 4 points
6th Place: 3 points
7th Place: 2 points
8th Place: 1 point
Grand Prix
Finally, the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will begin on Sunday April 30th. The race consists of 51 laps, totaling over 300 kilometers. As always, the grid will be set on Friday by the traditional qualifying. Historically, Baku is a dangerous race because of the tight corners. Additionally, this race has never been won twice by the same driver, but several of this year’s drivers have the chance to be the first this year.
In total, the weekend is packed with exciting racing. 4 of the 5 sessions are competitive, so fans have the opportunity to cheer for their favorite drivers and teams. Although there are many mixed opinions regarding the new format, it will be entertaining, to say the least.
