With the Formula One 2024 season all set to begin very soon, check out the F1 schedule, dates and new format for the sprint races weekend below
Notably, the sprint race weekend is all set to enter its fourth installment this season, with new changes set to come this year.
F1 Sprint Races 2024 schedule, dates, venue, new format and rules explained
F1's sprint race format is set to be reshuffled for 2024 with grand prix qualifying to be moved to Saturdays, following a recent #F1 Commission meeting 🔄
Are you a fan of the potential changes? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/yUGuPIMeXB
— Autosport (@autosport) February 11, 2024
The new 2024 F1 Sprint Race Calendar 👏 pic.twitter.com/WrCkHIWdGg
— ri 💌 (@C16LC) December 5, 2023
Ahead of the start of the new season, the FIA has issued a series of new changes to the racing format and rules.
F1 Sprint Race 2024 new format and changes
Heading into the new season, the sprint race weekend will feature a new format, marking its third change ever since its introduction in 2021. In the last season, the first race on each Friday featured one free practice session and one qualifying for the Grand Prix. However, in the new season, there will be qualifying for the sprint race, while Saturday will feature the sprint race. The sprint action will then take place, followed by qualifying for the Grand Prix later that day.
The FIA has issued the new changes following last season’s complications with parc ferme conditions. Last season, teams had to lock cars into their set-ups on Fridays after just one practice session. As such, drivers had to sacrifice their grid positions for Sunday’s race several times by breaking parc ferme because teams installed incorrect set-ups for Sunday’s race. The new changes will likely ensure teams reopen Parc Ferme between the sprint race and main grand prix qualifying. This will allow teams to undergo any necessary set-up tweaks.
Aside from the sprint weekend formats, the FIA also issued a new change regarding the restricted power unit allocation. Previously, the FIA had restricted the power unit allocation from four to three for internal combustion engines, MGU-K, MGU-H, as well as turbochargers. However, they have now restored it to four per driver for 2024 and 2025. Moreover, the rules for DRS usage have also undergone changes, whereby the race director can now trigger the DRS just one lap after the race starts. According to the old rule, the DRS only gets triggered after two laps. This new rule also applies to race restarts following a safety car period.
2024 Formula 1 sprint races schedule
The 2024 season will feature a sprint weekend during the Chinese GP, Miami GP, Austrian GP, United States GP, Brazilian GP, and Qatar Grand Prix. Given below is the schedule for the 2024 Formula 1 sprint races:
| Event | Date |
| Chinese Grand Prix | April 21 |
| Miami Grand Prix | May 5 |
| Austrian Grand Prix | June 30 |
| United States Grand Prix | October 20 |
| Brazilian Grand Prix | November 3 |
| Qatar Grand Prix | December 1 |