Formula 1: Sprint qualifying announced for three races in 2021

A sprint race on Saturday will decide the grid for the main race on Sunday as Formula 1 looks to increase the amount of racing fans are treated to over the course of a standard three-day weekend.

The FIA and Formula 1 along with all ten teams have greenlit the adoption of "Sprint Qualifying" at three races over the course of the current 2021 F1 season. While the events that will feature this new qualifying format will be announced at a later stage, Formula 1 has confirmed that out of the three, there will two European and one non-European venue. Over the course of the three-day Formula 1 race weekend, the first session will be a 60min free practice session on Friday with two sets of tyres for the teams to choose freely. This will be followed by a qualifying session to decide the grid for the sprint race on Saturday. However, the first session on a Saturday will be another 60min free practice in the morning, followed by a 100km sprint qualifying in the afternoon.