The Emilia-Romagna GP this weekend will see the first Sprint Race qualifying for the 2022 season. But when was the F1 Sprint Race first introduced?
As F1 fans gear up for another action-packed weekend of GP racing, they will see drivers take up a slightly different approach to the qualifying session at Imola.
In total, there will be three Sprint Races this year, taking place at Imola, the Red Bull Ring (Austria) and Interlagos (Brazil). But certain F1 fans that have recently been taking interest in the sport are keen to know when the F1 Sprint Race was first introduced.
When was the first F1 Sprint Race?
The F1 Sprint race made its debut at the 2021 British Grand Prix. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was the winner of the inaugural race at Silverstone. There were two more sprint races during the 2021 season which took place in Monza and Interlagos.
The newly introduced qualifying system was brought in to encourage more spectator interest with a short race on Saturday – approximately 1/3 of a normal grand prix length (100 KMs) – which then sets the grid for the normal Sunday race.
The driver who takes pole position on Friday will start the Sprint on Saturday in first position. The driver who wins the Sprint will start P1 in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
However, there are a few rule changes for the F1 Sprint Races in 2022, with the driver who takes P1 receiving a more lucrative eight points, rather than three, with a sliding scale down to one point for eighth place.
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