As the new 2025 Formula 1 season gets underway, fans will once again see the return of a relatively new race format: the sprint race. For anyone unsure about what a sprint race is, fear no more, as this is everything you need to know about Sprint Races in Formula 1.
The Basics
In a nutshell, a sprint race is essentially a shorter version of the traditional Sunday Grand Prix. The race takes place on Saturdays and only goes on for about 19 laps on average, meaning drivers are only on the track for about 30 minutes. It’s an action-packed 30 minutes, with ultra-racey setups and few-to-no pit stops.
Sprint weekends are trickier than normal race weekends for Formula 1 teams. And that’s simply because instead of having three practice sessions like they would on a normal weekend, teams only get one practice session on a Sprint weekend. Right after the practice session comes sprint qualifying and the sprint race, followed by the main Grand Prix qualifying session and, of course, the Grand Prix itself. Tracks that host sprint races still feature the traditional Grand Prix on Sunday.
Strategy
As a result of the altered weekend schedule, strategy shifts significantly for Formula 1 teams. Teams need to nail down their setups during the first — and only — practice sessions. Should their setups not be suitable for the track they are racing at, their entire weekend could be ruined.
Additionally, each car is prepared specifically for the sprint race. What this means is the cars are fueled significantly less for the sprint races making them lighter, and thus faster. Teams also typically fit their cars with either soft or medium tires, which are the fastest tires in the sport.
The Technical Stuff
The sprint format does impact the drivers and contructor’s championships. Points are awarded by finishing position and are shown in the chart below.
| Position | Points |
| 1st | 8 |
| 2nd | 7 |
| 3rd | 6 |
| 4th | 5 |
| 5th | 4 |
| 6th | 3 |
| 7th | 2 |
| 8th | 1 |
As far as sprint qualifying is concerned, it works the exact same way as regular qualifying: there are three stages, with the five slowest drivers being eliminated per stage.
Why Introduce the Sprint Race?
Formula 1 wanted to introduce something to capitalize on the rapid growth during F1 while also bringing viewers something to look forward to on Saturdays beyond just practice and qualifying. Since its introduction to F1 in 2021, the sprint race format has significantly boosted viewership on sprint weekends, while also driving higher physical attendance compared to regular race weekends, with physical attendance going up by 40% in some markets according to Formula 1.
Sprint Races in 2025
For the 2025 Formula 1 calendar, there are six tracks that will host a sprint race.
| Date | Track |
| March 21-23 | Shanghai, China |
| May 2-4 | Miami, USA |
| July 25-27 | Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium |
| October 17-19 | Austin, USA |
| November 7-9 | Sau Paulo, Brazil |
| November 28-30 | Lusail, Qatar |
The first sprint race of the 2025 season was held in Shanghai, China, on March 22nd.
