How to spice up sprint races: F1 circuits that should host each round

While the former is a longstanding F1 issue, the latter could be fixed as early as next season.

In 2023, there is set to be six sprint race events — double the amount seen in 2022 and 2021 — with a revised format which contains two qualifying sessions: one for the sprint and one for the grand prix. This means that drivers now have something to fight for on every day of the race weekend, and can battle freely in the sprint without jeopardising their starting position for the GP, as was the case previously.

But in order for drivers to take full advantage of this new opportunity, it is critical that sprint races are held on tracks where overtaking is both possible and frequent. So it seems a bit strange that this season, venues such as Spa-Francorchamps and Qatar – which have delivered historically mediocre grands prix – are being given two races in one weekend while the likes of Bahrain and Monza are left with annual visits.

The first sprint race of 2023 in Baku was mostly a boredom-filled non-event, producing largely the same result as the grand prix. So in an attempt prolong their existence on the F1 calendar, here are the six circuits that should host a sprint race in 2024.

Current sprint race circuits (2023)	Motor Sport’s sprint race circuits
Azerbaijan – Baku Street Circuit	Bahrain – Bahrain International Circuit
Austria – Red Bull Ring	Canada – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Belgium – Spa-Francorchamps	Austria – Red Bull Ring
Qatar – Lusail International Circuit	Italy – Monza
United States – Circuit of the Americas	Brazil – Sao Paulo
Brazil – Interlagos	Abu Dhabi – Yas Marina Circuit

 

Bahrain

Bahrain International Circuit

Why not start the year with a bang? Double the racing action on the opening weekend of the F1 season would surely attract the attention of fans while giving teams the chance to kickstart the year with a big points haul.

The Bahrain International Circuit itself has played host to great duels in the past, mainly thanks to the back-to-back DRS zones located on the pit straight and on the exit of Turn 3 – allowing for plenty of overtaking opportunities throughout the field. Charles Leclerc utilised each to perfection in 2022 during his battle with Max Verstappen – mirroring a clash between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in 2014.

Admittedly, F1 would have to re-think its weekend schedule in order for both races to take place at night – F1’s current FP3 (which would be replaced by the sprint race shootout) takes place at 2.30pm followed by qualifying (which would be replaced by the sprint race itself) at 6pm.

But a 19-lap sprint around Bahrain would perhaps be the best way to start a season of wheel-to-wheel racing – especially on a circuit that produced 131 overtakes during its 2022 grand prix.

If circuit organisers really wanted to promote entertainment, the sprint race could even take place on the outer layout of the Bahrain International Circuit, last used for the memorable Sakhir Grand Prix in 2020.

 

Canada

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

The 2023 Canadian Grand Prix was perhaps the best race of the current season so far, with battles throughout the field taking place all the way up until the chequered flag.

So a 23-lap sprint in Montreal should only amplify the action we saw in the dying moments of this year’s grand prix, which included a last-gasp effort from Lewis Hamilton to snatch second from Fernando Alonso and a final corner pass from Lance Stroll on Valtteri Bottas.

The nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is also notorious for keeping cars close together, with Max Verstappen‘s dominant RB19 being kept within striking distance of Alonso’s Aston Martin throughout the first half of this year’s grand prix. A shorter race could force trailing cars to be more aggressive — not having to worry as much about tyre wear or fuel consumption — and finally return racing to the very front of the field.

The unpredictability of the weather surrounding the circuit is also a factor, and could see different strategies adopted over the course of the weekend.

 

Austria

Red Bull Ring

The 2022 Austrian Grand Prix was a rare highlight on last year’s calendar: a classic battle between Max Verstappen and the trailing Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz – but its sprint race was a little less action-packed, with only 19 overtakes in total.

Although there are plenty of overtaking opportunities at the Red Bull Ring — most notably at Turns 1, 3 and 4 — the threat of being forced over a sausage kerb or into a gravel trap generally wasn’t worth the extra points or the worsened qualifying position. But with a new weekend format which allows drivers to race with less extreme consequences, sprint racing in Austria could be some of the best on the F1 calendar.

Three back-to-back DRS zones have proven to be a key ingredient in keeping cars close together, and as the fourth shortest F1 circuit with most of the overtaking opportunities available in the first two sectors, drivers will be forced to make their moves early and often if they want to take home a bigger points haul.

 

Italy

Monza

Even in a season filled with drama, the 2021 Italian Grand Prix sticks out. Although it is remembered fondly as a redemption day for Daniel Ricciardo, his eventual victory would perhaps not have been possible if it weren’t for the places he gained during the sprint race – jumping from fifth to second to claim a rare front-row start for the grand prix. In 2022, Monza produced more of the same drama, with 58 overtakes completed during the race – 19 more than the circuit average during the hybrid era.

So with an updated sprint race format, better technical regulations that allow for closer racing and plenty of overtaking opportunities still up for grabs, F1’s fastest circuit is perhaps an ideal venue to host a sprint race weekend – especially in front of the hordes of screaming Tifosi. 

 

Brazil

Interlagos

Unlike other circuits, Interlagos has almost certainly proven its worth as a sprint race venue.

Although Brazil has produced brilliant grand prix racing in the past, the credit for its sprint race success should perhaps be dedicated to Lewis Hamilton, who in 2021, completed one of the great F1 comebacks — starting the 24-lap sprint at the back of the pack, climbing to fifth and ultimately finishing the weekend on the top step of the podium.

2022 acted as another true showcase of the circuit’s ability to produce great racing and an element of unpredictability, with Kevin Magnussen taking sprint pole for Haas in the wet before George Russell captured his first race victories for Mercedes.

The design of the circuit keeps racing close, with two ideally placed DRS zones allowing cars to bunch together ahead of hard braking zones — both key ingredients in creating lots of overtaking opportunities.

While the rest of the sprint race calendar is up for debate, Interlagos’s past successes should ensure its place as a permanent addition.

 

Abu Dhabi

Yas Marina Circuit

If F1 had double the drama to start the year, why not have double the drama to end it?

A sprint race weekend in Abu Dhabi could provide the final opportunity for drivers and teams to make one final leap up the championship standings as well as adding another layer of drama in the event of a close title battle.

The Yas Marina Circuit has undergone several adaptions to improve racing that has reflected in action-packed grands prix in 2021 and 2022. Similarly to Bahrain, circuit organisers would have to alter its race weekend schedule in order for both races to take place at night – F1’s current FP3 (which would be replaced by the sprint race shootout) taking place at 2.30pm followed by qualifying (which would be replaced by the sprint race itself) at 6pm.

Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that organisers have tried to spice up a season finale. In 2014, double points were on offer for the final race of the season in an attempt to prolong the ongoing title race between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. It eventually made little difference, but a sprint race could be a significant and worthwhile upgrade.