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The FIA confirmed that F1 will increase the number of sprint races for the 2023 season. Moving forward, there will now be six sprint weekends instead of the familiar three.
Initially, there were plans for six sprints to take place this season, but that didn't materialize due to disagreements among F1 teams. The initial proposal for next season was also denied by the FIA but was eventually approved and announced.
Sprint sessions were introduced in 2021 with extra points being awarded for a one-third distance race. The session also determines the grid for Sunday's F1 Grand Prix. This format quickly gained a lot of popularity among fans.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said:
“Sprint sessions provide an exciting dynamic to the race weekend format and have proven to be popular over the past two seasons. I am sure that this positive trend will continue and am pleased that the World Motor Sport Council has today given its approval for them to go ahead.”
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali added:
“I am pleased that we can confirm six Sprints will be part of the Championship from 2023 onwards, building on the success of the new format introduced for the first time in 2021."
“The Sprint provides action across three days with the drivers all fighting for something right from the start on Friday through to the main event on Sunday – adding more drama and excitement to the weekend."
2023 F1 calendar to feature 24 races
The FIA has released the 2023 F1 calendar, which will feature 24 races. The season is set to start on March 5th, 2023 and end on November 26th 2023. There are three races in the United States with the Las Vegas GP being a new addition. We will also see action back in Qatar and China.
According to FIA president Ben Sulayem, the addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA’s sound stewardship of the sport.
Certain tracks have been at risk of being dropped from the calendar. For instance, the Monaco GP's level of entertainment had it at risk of elimination.
Nonetheless, despite the possibility of tracks being dropped, the Formula 1 circus is still expanding. The number of races and travel is going to be very tight, but the growing popularity and demand for the sport is what has driven the expansion of the schedule.
