Qatar Grand Prix sprint race: Can Losail provide the best action yet?

The sprint shootout follows a similar knockout-style format to grand prix qualifying, but with shorter sessions times as to limit the amount of laps a driver can complete.

Q1 is shortened from 18 minutes to 12 minutes.

Q2 is shortened from 15 minutes to ten minutes.

Q3 is shortened from 12 minutes to eight minutes.

In theory, with so little time to narrow-in on specific set-up changes or how to manage tyre wear, drivers could make more mistakes and be punished more severely — resulting in a lower grid position than usual. Teams are also stepping into the unknown in Qatar, with very little relative data available due to the massive regulation changes that have affected the field of cars since F1’s last visit to Losail in 2021.

It’s a recipe for a mixed-up running order that could see front-runners such as Red Bull stuck in the midfield — as they were in Singapore — or backmarkers in with a shot of points.

The results of sprint qualifying will then set the grid for the Qatar GP sprint race, set at a third of race distance, which will take place on Saturday afternoon for 19 laps.

How many points do you get for winning a sprint race?

With more points on offer for sprint race success than last year, drivers now have the incentive to push themselves higher up the grid without worrying about how it may effect the rest of their grand prix weekend — the results of the sprint having no effect on the starting grid for Sunday’s race.

The winner will receive eight points, second will score seven and third will score six — descending all the way down to one point for eighth.

At this point in the season, with just six grand prix weekends remaining, every point could be critical to how to the drivers’ and constructors’ standings look by the end of the season.

Who will win the Qatar sprint race? 

After dominant wet weather performances in Austria and Belgium, Verstappen will likely be the favourite to take a third sprint race victory in Qatar. Should he succeed, the Dutchman will not only become the 2023 drivers’ world champion, but he will also surpass Valtteri Bottas‘ record for career sprint race victories (2) — set by the Finn in 2021.

It’s a feat well within reach for the Dutchman, whose only real opponent during sprint races this season has come from the other side of his own team’s garage. But the resurgence of McLaren could cause a huge upset.

Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been able to race at the front of the field fairly consistently since F1 entered Austria — the former most recently having scored back-to-back second-place finishes in Japan and Singapore while the latter made his first F1 podium appearance at Spa. The fast and flowing nature of the Losail circuit should benefit the MCL60 as well as the RB19 — pointing toward a drama-filled sprint race on Saturday at the very least.

Mercedes also holds a small advantage in the form of Lewis Hamilton, who is currently the only F1 driver to win a Qatar Grand Prix. Should the Brackley marque deliver a suitable car, the Briton certainly has the current form to challenge at the very front of the field, having secured more top-ten finishes than anyone else this season — excluding Verstappen.

When will penalties be applied in sprint races? 

If a driver incurs a penalty during Friday’s practice or qualifying session, it will be served during Sunday’s Grand Prix. But, any penalties gained during Saturday’s sprint shootout session, will have to be served during the sprint race.

Subsequently, should any penalties be given during the sprint race itself, these will be served during Sunday’s Grand Prix as well.

Sprint race tyre allocation

Over the sprint race weekend, teams will receive fewer sets of tyres than usual — reduced to 12 from the standard 13. During the sprint shootout, drivers are also required to use one set of tyres per stage of qualifying: a fresh set of mediums in SQ1 and SQ2 before moving to a set of soft tyres in SQ3.

On a track with such high tyre degradation, this could force some teams to reinvent their strategies come race-day.

No rainfall is predicted over the Qatar Grand Prix weekend. But, should a random shower occur, drivers will still have full access to intermediate and wet-weather tyres across the weekend.

How to watch Qatar GP sprint race

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