P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The first Sprint race of 2024 is on the horizon as F1 returns to China – but there are some big changes to the weekend format.
There is a split opinion on Sprint races in Formula 1, with fans and drivers divided on whether they should continue or be discontinued, including World Champion Max Verstappen. The 2024 Formula 1 calendar includes six Sprint races in China, Miami, Austria, the United States, Brazil, and Qatar, with three of them in the final six races of the season. Changes have been made to the Sprint format for 2024 following criticisms from teams and drivers in 2023, where issues like wrong setups and disqualifications occurred. The new format for Sprint events entails a Sprint Shootout qualifying session after Free Practice 1 on Fridays, followed by the Sprint race on Saturday morning, and traditional qualifying and the main race as usual through the weekend. The Sprint races in 2024 will maintain a 100km distance, with the new format debuting at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend.
