F1 is returning to China in 2024, and the first Sprint race of the season will take place there. However, the weekend structure will be significantly altered.
Formula 1 sprint races are controversial, drawing equal amounts of support and criticism from drivers and spectators who want to see them continue or disappear from the annals of history, including World Champion Max Verstappen.
However, the 2024 schedule will have six Sprint events, with the final three occurring in the year’s final six races. These races will take place in China, Miami, Austria, the United States, Brazil, and Qatar, much like in 2023.
Once more, the Sprint format has undergone some alterations, partly as a result of backlash from teams and drivers following the failure of the 2023 model.
Grand Prix qualifying was rescheduled for Friday afternoon in 2023, following a mere 60 minutes of practice. This meant that after an hour of racing, parc ferme conditions would take effect, potentially locking teams into incorrect or even illegal set-ups, as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc discovered in Austin when they were disqualified for wearing too much planks.
This was attributed to the ride-heights being too low, which might have been corrected with extra practice. As a result, the teams, Formula One, and the FIA developed a revised weekend schedule for the Sprint events.
Novel Sprint Structure
Free Practice 1 is conducted normally on Friday in the 2024 Sprint races, followed by the Sprint Shootout qualifying session.
After that, park ferme opens for the Sprint, which happens on Saturday morning. It reopens for qualifying on Saturday afternoon, and the main race is held on Sunday as usual.
The Sprint will still cover 100 km, or one-third of the typical grand prix distance. The tables below outline the new format and how it will be used this weekend in Shanghai.
