The FIA have approved plans for the number of Formula 1 sprint races in 2023 to increase from its current level of three. In an e-vote earlier on Tuesday (September 27th), the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) approved the "regulatory framework" needed to allow the extra sprint sessions to take place. The number of sprint races in the 2023 season is set to rise from its current level of three to six - meaning 25% of the record-breaking 24 Grands Prix on next year's calendar will be sprint weekends. Sprint races were first introduced at the 2021 British Grand Prix to set the grid after a traditional qualifying session on a Friday evening. Other such races were held at Monza and Interlagos in 2021, with Imola, the Red Bull Ring and Interlagos once again hosting them in '22. Confirmation of what races exactly sprint event will be held at will be confirmed by F1 and the FIA at a later date.
Ben Sulayem and Domenicali react
"The confirmation that six race weekends featuring Sprint will take place from the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship season onwards is another example of the continued growth and prosperity at the highest level of motorsport," explained FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. "Sprint sessions provide an exciting dynamic to the race weekend format and have proven to be popular over the past two seasons – I am sure that this positive trend will continue and am pleased that the World Motor Sport Council has today given its approval for them to go ahead." For his part, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali highlighted why sprint race weekend were so important for fans and drivers. " The Sprint provides action across three days with the drivers all fighting for something right from the start on Friday through to the main event on Sunday - adding more drama and excitement to the weekend," he said. "The feedback from the fans, teams, promoters, and partners has been very positive and the format is adding a new dimension to Formula 1, and we all want to ensure its success in the future."
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