2021 Sprint Qualifying at 3 races announced

[Munter]

Here's the link:
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breakin...

We get 3 competitive sessions weekend for these races...

• Friday

60-minute First Practice in the morning with two sets of tyres for teams to choose freely
Normal Qualifying format in the afternoon with five soft tyre sets available only

• Saturday

60-minute Second Free Practice in the morning with one set of tyres for teams to choose freely
100km Sprint Qualifying in the afternoon with two sets of tyres for teams to choose freely

• Sunday

Full distance Grand Prix with two remaining sets of tyres

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Qualifying on a Friday.

fking idiots.

[MitchT]

Unless I'm not looking hard enough, it doesn't explicitly state what form this "spring qualifying" will take. Are we talking a short race with all cars on track? If so, how do they reconcile the cost of damage arising from collisions during the course of this race with their ambition of cutting costs?

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

MitchT said:

Unless I'm not looking hard enough, it doesn't explicitly state what form this "spring qualifying" will take. Are we talking a short race with all cars on track? If so, how do they reconcile the cost of damage arising from collisions during the course of this race with their ambition of cutting costs?

They don’t give a st? Plus also same number of sessions so only a slight more chance of damage?

[MitchT]

Dynion Araf Uchaf said:

Plus also same number of sessions so only a slight more chance of damage?

I'd say a lot more chance. If cars spend the same amount of time on track but a greater percentage of that time racing wheel-to-wheel then surely the risk of damage is significantly higher as you're more likely to be involved in a collision. As you say though, they don't give a st. There are better ways that they could cut costs than anything they're currently doing, if they were really bothered about it.

[TheDeuce]

How does parc fermé work with the free practice session in between the two qualifying rounds..?

I'm not convinced this is 'better' than the current system but on the basis its a trial, I support trying it. Who knows, might be a stroke of genius.

[parabolica]

Given the schedule goes FP1, Quali, FP2, Sprint Quali, Race, I can't see how they can go into parc ferme between Quali and the Sprint due to practice session. I'm guessing teams won't be allowed to change settings between the Sprint and the Race but will be allowed to make repairs with like-for-like parts & settings.

I'm ok with them trying something new; they've introduced revisions to qualifying several times over the years; sometimes it works out well (i.e. the change to the current quali set up) some don't and get dropped like a hot potato (i.e. that odd eliminating quali we had a few years back).

[sjg]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.everyth...

How does Parc Ferme work?
Rules forbid the changing of major components in Parc Ferme to avoid teams moving to create special ‘qualifying cars’ while also limiting the number of hours required for preparing the car for the following day.

However, some wriggle room on car reconfiguration is permitted to make Saturday’s FP2 session more useful. A full list of what can be changed will be released in due course.

For safety reasons, teams can change brake friction material for a new, identical set that was used in qualifying and sprint qualifying ahead of the Grand Prix. Brake ducts can be changed, too.

Allowances have been made for power unit and gearbox cooling adjustments should the ambient temperature change significantly (a change of 10C or more recorded by the FIA’s appointed weather service provider) while weight distribution may be altered.

Should a front wing be damaged in Sprint Qualifying, for example, and the team has run out of latest specification front wings, they can run a previously used specification without penalty. Previously a change of specification, either for a new or older component, would have triggered a penalty.

Between qualifying and Sprint Qualifying, teams are permitted to change or adjust suspension elements – springs and dampers – or alter camber, toe or ride height of suspension components defined in Article 10.3 of the Technical Regulations.

[anonymous-user]

Well, I'm going to the British GP and I'm looking forward to seeing something different

[MiniMan64]

Top 3 score points in sprint quali too.

Doesn’t make it clear if the sprint qualifying session is a 100km endurance race or if they just get 100km (why a distance limit and not a time or lap limit?) to try and set their fastest lap?

[parabolica]

Sprint quali isn't about setting the fastest lap; that gets done in the Friday session. The Sprint Quali is a 100km race and the finishing order defines the grid for Sunday.

[The Moose]

The additional points for the quali sprint race win are interesting. Potentially an extra 9 points if someone wins all 3 which could make a big difference to the championship at the end of the season!

[MiniMan64]

parabolica said:

Sprint quali isn't about setting the fastest lap; that gets done in the Friday session. The Sprint Quali is a 100km race and the finishing order defines the grid for Sunday.

So basically an extra 100km race with no pit stops?

I don’t see the advantage.

[anonymous-user]

MiniMan64 said:

So basically an extra 100km race with no pit stops?

I don’t see the advantage.

Worth noting that a 100km race is 1/3 of the distance covered by the winner of the 2020 British GP. It will only be 30 minutes.

Some teams will use it as a test session I suppose.

[LM240]

I don’t see what will happen other than;
- Fastest qualify in their natural places on Friday.
- On Saturday the fastest finish where they would on a Sunday. I’m not sure what people think will be that different during the sprint race in terms of the racing than what we get on a Sunday.
- Sunday will pan out as it usually does.

Of course they’ll be the occasional upset but I don’t really see how it will shake things up dramatically.

[MiniMan64]

LM240 said:

I don’t see what will happen other than;
- Fastest qualify in their natural places on Friday.
- On Saturday the fastest finish where they would on a Sunday. I’m not sure what people think will be that different during the sprint race in terms of the racing than what we get on a Sunday.
- Sunday will pan out as it usually does.

Of course they’ll be the occasional upset but I don’t really see how it will shake things up dramatically.

Exactly my point above, it adds nothing but extra distance. People seem a little fixated on this idea of a sprint race without the need for tyre management somehow producing a different result

[anonymous-user]

MiniMan64 said:

LM240 said:

I don’t see what will happen other than;
- Fastest qualify in their natural places on Friday.
- On Saturday the fastest finish where they would on a Sunday. I’m not sure what people think will be that different during the sprint race in terms of the racing than what we get on a Sunday.
- Sunday will pan out as it usually does.

Of course they’ll be the occasional upset but I don’t really see how it will shake things up dramatically.

Exactly my point above, it adds nothing but extra distance. People seem a little fixated on this idea of a sprint race without the need for tyre management somehow producing a different result

Two races in a weekend - what’s not to like? The results of both races aren’t going to be the same no matter how much you two keep saying it. The top 3 is going to be one of maybe 8 different drivers. Points or not I reckon the drivers in the positions lower down will still want a scrap to prove themselves.

[parabolica]

Also the sprint doesn’t add distance; it’s replacing FP3 where mileage is likely to be even higher as that’s when they do their race sims.

[paulguitar]

F20CN16 said:

Well, I'm going to the British GP and I'm looking forward to seeing something different

Me too, and I agree. The purist in me has reservations, but from the point of view of a spectator at the Silverstone weekend, I see this as getting quali on Friday, which will make it WAY more interesting than a usual F1 Friday, and then basically an extra race on Saturday. All of a sudden I am actually quite excited to see how it all goes.

[TheDeuce]

sjg said:

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.everyth...

How does Parc Ferme work?
Rules forbid the changing of major components in Parc Ferme to avoid teams moving to create special ‘qualifying cars’ while also limiting the number of hours required for preparing the car for the following day.

However, some wriggle room on car reconfiguration is permitted to make Saturday’s FP2 session more useful. A full list of what can be changed will be released in due course.

For safety reasons, teams can change brake friction material for a new, identical set that was used in qualifying and sprint qualifying ahead of the Grand Prix. Brake ducts can be changed, too.

Allowances have been made for power unit and gearbox cooling adjustments should the ambient temperature change significantly (a change of 10C or more recorded by the FIA’s appointed weather service provider) while weight distribution may be altered.

Should a front wing be damaged in Sprint Qualifying, for example, and the team has run out of latest specification front wings, they can run a previously used specification without penalty. Previously a change of specification, either for a new or older component, would have triggered a penalty.

Between qualifying and Sprint Qualifying, teams are permitted to change or adjust suspension elements – springs and dampers – or alter camber, toe or ride height of suspension components defined in Article 10.3 of the Technical Regulations.

Thanks... Although I'm now starting to question what the point is of FP2, given the cars setup is pretty much locked in by that stage. Also it means the cars will have race gearbox and pu fitted, so surely tempting for the teams to just not run during FP2?