In an effort to spice things up, Formula 1 could introduce Saturday sprint races at select rounds during the 2021 season.
The proposal would see qualifying moved to Friday, where it would replace Practice 2. This qualifying session would then set the grid for a sprint race on Saturday, which would offer reduced championship points for the top eight finishers and determine the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Teams and the sport’s bosses discussed the topic via video conference last Thursday, February 11, during an F1 Commission meeting. According to Formula1.com, all parties welcomed the proposal, with F1, the FIA, and the 10 teams offering ‘broad support’.
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The Canadian, Italian, and Brazilian legs of the championship are the most likely to host the Saturday sprint races and during a recent interview with Martin Brundle, F1 boss Stefano Domenicali admitted that Formula 1 was considering ways to spark new energy into the series.
“All teams recognized the major importance of engaging fans in new and innovative ways to ensure an even more exciting weekend format,” F1 and the FIA said in a statement. “There was, therefore, broad support from all parties for a new qualifying format at some races, and a working group has been tasked with creating a complete plan with the aim to reach a final decision before the start for the 2021 championship.”
