Sprint race format changes explained as F1 returns to China

The Chinese Grand Prix was last held in 2019 (Photo: Getty)

Formula 1 is finally back in China for race five of the season and the first Sprint weekend of 2024.

There’s been no racing in Shanghai for the last few years thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, with Sir Lewis Hamilton leading home a Mercedes 1-2 in the last grand prix here in 2019. How times change…

Among the many changes to the sport since that race was the introduction of Sprint races, and yet again their format has been changed after the continued to split opinion among fans and drivers last year.

So how will the new format work, and when and where can you watch the return of the Chinese Grand Prix, which promises to throw up some surprises…

What is the new F1 Sprint format?

For the uninitiated, Sprints are shorter races that prelude the main grand prix, with six weekends selected to host them in 2024: China, Miami, Austria, USA, Brazil and Qatar.

A normal grand prix weekend consists of two practice sessions on Friday, practice and qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.

In many respects, the Sprint format is the same as last year: there will be one practice session, two qualifying sessions, the Sprint and main race.

Max Verstappen won the 2023 title at the Qatar Sprint race (Photo: Getty)

The top eight will score points in the Sprint, with eight for the winner, seven for second etc.

Where the change comes is in the schedule. Following practice on Friday will now be the Sprint qualifying, with the Sprint race taking place on Saturday ahead of the main qualifying session and finally the main race on Sunday.

While that may not sound significant, the new format will crucially allow teams to make changes to their cars between the Sprint race and qualifying as opposed to last year where they had just the one-hour practice session to perfect their set-ups.

What time is the Chinese Grand Prix on?

F1 fans in Europe will need to make sure their alarm clocks are on, with cars hitting the track as early as 4:00am on Friday and Saturday.

Thankfully, lights out for the main event is at the slightly more reasonable time of 8am on Sunday 21 April.

Sky Sports F1 will be showing every session and more live, while Channel 4 will have highlights of the race on Sunday from 12:15pm.

2024 Chinese Grand Prix schedule:

Friday, 19 April

Practice: 4:30am

Sprint Qualifying: 8:30am

Saturday, 20 April

Sprint Race: 4am

Qualifying: 8am

Sunday, 21 April

Race: 8am

All times GMT

What have the drivers said about the Sprint?

Sprint weekends have continued to polarise opinion, with Max Verstappen their most outspoken and vocal critic despite wining seven of the 12 Sprint races since their introduction in 2021.

Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, the three-time world champion labelled the decision to host a sprint in Shanghai as ‘not smart’ given how drivers and teams have little recent experience of the track.

Discussing the matter, the Red Bull star sarcastically said: ‘Yeah, it’s very smart to do that.

Zhou Guanyu will be the first Chinese driver to race in the Chinese GP (Photo: Getty)

‘It’s not great to do that because when you have been away from a track for quite a while, I think you never know what you’re going to experience, so it would have been better to have a normal race weekend there.

‘On the other hand, it probably spices things up a bit more, and that’s maybe what they would like to see. But purely from a driving and performance perspective of the sport, I think it’s not the smartest thing to do. We’ll see what we get there.’

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz echoed Verstappen’s comments, but China’s first full-time F1 driver Zhou Guanyu couldn’t care less, with the Sauber star set to compete in his first home grand prix.

The 24-year-old said: ‘I couldn’t be more excited to finally race on home soil in Shanghai. To be the first Chinese driver ever to compete in Formula 1 in China means a lot to me.

‘It fills me with immense joy, pride and responsibility. I have fulfilled my dream.’

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