FIA with teams look to change F1 Sprint Race format for 2024

The governing FIA said on Friday that its Sporting Advisory Committee would present a final proposal to the F1 Commission in January.

"The Commission gave overall support for an update to the sprint format for 2024 to further rationalise the weekend by separating Sprint activities from those for the Grand Prix. The final calendar for the 2024 sprint events will be published in the coming weeks," the FIA said in a statement.

Six of this year's 22 Grand Prix rounds were Sprint Race weekends, including the Qatar Grand Prix in which Red Bull's Max Verstappen clinched his third F1 world title at the end of the Saturday sprint.

F1 teams have been discussing moving the qualifying "shootout" to Friday, with the 100km race then held on Saturday morning before qualifying for the main Sunday grand prix.

The current format has qualifying for the grand prix on Friday with sprint qualifying and standalone race filling Saturday's schedule.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner told reporters in Abu Dhabi: "I think it's clear that the sprints need to evolve a bit. The sprints in some cases have been slightly underwhelming. There's no pitstop, it tends to stay in grid order and it's a little bit like getting a medal for a long run.

"I think it needs a bit more work done on it within the sporting forum and then no doubt we'll sit down at the next commission meeting early in the New Year and hopefully finalise a format," ventured Horner.

Points could be awarded more widely for the sprint race, with a possible reverse grid element also under consideration.

The F1 Commission agreed to keep tyre blankets through the 2025 season and approved updates to the technical regulations allowing increased driver cooling to be fitted to the car after the heat and humidity in Qatar caused driver safety concerns.

It also agreed that F1 teams would not be allowed to carry out development work on 2026 cars before the start of the 2025 season. Formula 1 is introducing a new engine in 2026.