With so many Formula 1 Grand Prix being based in Europe, I find it hard to watch them live, as the time zone for the race is usually in the middle of the night. I can't stay up that late, or if I did, I would fall asleep in front of the TV and miss the race.
So, I will generally catch up with the overnight action. On a Formula 1 race weekend, I watch the highlights from qualifying on Sunday morning and highlights from the race on Monday. However, I was a little confused today to find that qualifying highlights for this weekend's Monza Grand Prix appeared today, Saturday.
The reason for this is that this weekend's race schedule will include an F1 Sprint. As a result, the usual three-part knockout qualifying still takes place but is moved from Saturday afternoon to Friday.
The F1 Sprint is effectively a mini race run over 100 kilometres on Saturday afternoon, one day ahead of the Grand Prix. The twenty drivers start in the order they qualified on Friday, and their finishing positions 100 kilometres later will be the positions they line up in for the start of Sunday's Grand Prix. If you win, you're starting Sunday's race from pole position.
Formula 1 wants to enhance the whole weekend rather than take anything away from the main event on Sunday. So if these sprints on Saturday prove popular, we could look forward to seeing them as a regular event in the future.
So, I will generally catch up with the overnight action. On a Formula 1 race weekend, I watch the highlights from qualifying on Sunday morning and highlights from the race on Monday. However, I was a little confused today to find that qualifying highlights for this weekend's Monza Grand Prix appeared today, Saturday.
The reason for this is that this weekend's race schedule will include an F1 Sprint. As a result, the usual three-part knockout qualifying still takes place but is moved from Saturday afternoon to Friday.
The F1 Sprint is effectively a mini race run over 100 kilometres on Saturday afternoon, one day ahead of the Grand Prix. The twenty drivers start in the order they qualified on Friday, and their finishing positions 100 kilometres later will be the positions they line up in for the start of Sunday's Grand Prix. If you win, you're starting Sunday's race from pole position.
Formula 1 wants to enhance the whole weekend rather than take anything away from the main event on Sunday. So if these sprints on Saturday prove popular, we could look forward to seeing them as a regular event in the future.