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Toto Wolff is expecting the new Sprint weekend format to pose an " interesting challenge " for Mercedes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Sprint will make the first of six appearances in 2023 during the Baku event, with a new Sprint Shootout also being introduced in place of Free Practice 2. This new session will set the grid for the Sprint, while Friday's traditional qualifying determines the order for Sunday's main race, and Wolff hopes that the structure can provide additional excitement for the fans. Wolff on new Sprint format "After just under a month with no F1 action, everyone's eager to be back out on track," Wolff explained. "Thankfully we've got plenty of that coming up. It's a busy window in the calendar with five races in six weekends, starting with Azerbaijan. "The racing in Baku is always dramatic and entertaining. It's a challenging track with the walls close, so there's no room for er...

Formula 1 will introduce a new format for the Sprint race weekend in Azerbaijan with the aim of improving com Pet itiveness in the Sprint race itself. Previously, the qualifying hour determined the grid for the Sprint, and the result of that set the grid for the Grand Prix. This sometimes resulted in more cautious approaches from the drivers in the Sprint races, who didn't want to jeopardise their Grand Prix by making a mistake in the shortened race. Now, Formula 1 has isolated the Sprint race and given it a separate qualifying session, called the Sprint Shootout, meaning the Sprint will have no impact on the main race. The Sprint Shootout will replace FP2, meaning Saturday will now be dedicated to the Sprint qualifying and race. The traditional qualifying hour will remain on Friday and only count for the Grand Prix on Sunday. The Sprint Shootout qualifying sessions (Q1, Q2 and Q3) will be shorter than conventional qualifying and each session will have a dedicate...

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are leading calls for a Formula 1 weekend format change , following the comments made by CEO Stefano Domenicali on the future of practice sessions. Discussions are currently taking place about how practice sessions can be made to be more engaging, with the potential for rewards or points being on the table. Hamilton believes F1 should be more 'dynamic' with race weekends and look at specific solutions for certain races such as Monaco, which can often not live up to their hype when it comes to race day. "I think we can be more dynamic and I think we can look at places like Monaco, perhaps there is a different kind of solution for that weekend to make it more engaging for fans," he told media, including TheFOXposts.Com . "We use the sprint races in some places and maybe there's something else we do. "I like the format on the sprint weekend where you have that one practice session, and there's a lot ...