F1 sprint weekend format explained
Sprint weekends swap two practice sessions for a short Saturday race. Here is the order of sessions, how sprint qualifying works and the points on offer.
.png&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
By Sandro Pozar, Founder & Editor
Published 1 min read
A sprint weekend packs two races into three days. Teams get only one practice session before the competitive running starts, so there is less time to fine-tune set-ups and more room for surprises. The F1 race calendar shows which rounds of the season use the sprint format.
What is the order of sessions on an F1 sprint weekend?
- Friday: one practice session, then Sprint Qualifying to set the grid for the sprint
- Saturday: the Sprint, followed later in the day by qualifying for the Grand Prix
- Sunday: the Grand Prix
Every session time on the calendar is shown in your own time zone, so you can see at a glance when each part of the weekend starts where you are.
How does F1 sprint qualifying work?
Sprint Qualifying uses the same knockout structure as regular qualifying — three segments, known as SQ1, SQ2 and SQ3, with the slowest cars eliminated after each of the first two — but each segment is shorter.
How long is an F1 sprint race?
A sprint covers roughly 100 km, about a third of a Grand Prix distance, and usually lasts around half an hour. There is no mandatory pit stop, so most drivers run the whole distance on a single set of tyres.
How many points does an F1 sprint award?
The top eight finishers score points, from 8 for the winner down to 1 for eighth. The sprint result does not set the grid for Sunday; that comes from Grand Prix qualifying later on Saturday. For the full breakdown, see how the F1 points system works.
Where to find F1 sprint results
Sprint results sit alongside qualifying and Grand Prix results on each race weekend page, and the points feed straight into the F1 championship standings.
More F1 explainers and news
How F1 qualifying works: Q1, Q2, Q3 and the 2026 format explained
F1 qualifying is a three-part knockout. With 22 cars in 2026, the slowest six drop out in Q1 and Q2, and the top 10 fight for pole in Q3. Here is how it works.
F1 penalties explained: time penalties, grid drops and race bans
F1 stewards can hand out 5- or 10-second penalties, drive-throughs, stop-and-gos, grid drops and penalty points. Here is what each means and how it is served.
F1 2026 regulations explained: new engines, active aero and teams
F1’s 2026 rules brought smaller, lighter cars, a near 50/50 split of fuel and electric power, moving wings instead of DRS, and new teams Audi and Cadillac.