If things go according to plan, there will be two F1 qualifying sessions in Azerbaijan.
There could be two qualifying sessions this weekend, or there may not be.
As the four-week break on the F1 calendar ends heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali wants to spice up the format by deleting a practice session so that there are separate qualifying sessions for both the sprint and the main grand prix as Autoweek reported earlier this month.
There are now reports that the teams have already voted unanimously in favor of the new format, although there have been some logistical concerns raised – primarily by Pirelli, whose tire allocations for Baku were shipped some time ago.
“We’re very close to finalizing the format,” Aston Martin sporting director Andy Stevenson said this week.
“We’ve been working closely with the FIA and going through it carefully with our engineers and strategists to make sure it’s workable. We all support the new format, but we need to make sure that the regulations are going to work as intended.”
Stevenson said the teams support the move because drivers will be able to “push harder and take more risks” in the sprint, because the results will no longer determine the grid order for Sunday’s all-important grand prix.
“It’s going to be an extremely exciting weekend,” Stevenson said.
Some, however, question the wisdom of making Baku the first sprint race of 2023.
“The reality is it’s absolutely ludicrous to be doing the first sprint race of the year at a street race like Azerbaijan,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
“But I think from a spectacle point of view, from a fan point of view, it’s probably going to be one of the most exciting sprint races of the year.
“Irrespective of whether the rules change or not, a sprint race weekend at that tight, twisty track where you go through the castle section is going to cause a little bit of mayhem. There’s going to be difficulties.”
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“From a cost gap perspective, all you can do is trash your car and it costs a lot of money around there. One race is enough in Baku, so to have two – there could well be some action there,” he added.
However, Williams Team Principal James Vowles said talks remain ongoing over whether the sprint format will change for Baku.
Vowles said the changes have not been ratified and the saga continues.
“It is going to be a Sprint race weekend, potentially with slight modifications to the rules we have had previously, and that work is now ongoing in the background to understand how we should restructure the race weekend and what the implications of that will be on everyone,” said Vowles, speaking in a video posted to Williams’ website.
“Irrespective of whether the rules change or not, a sprint race weekend at that tight, twisty track where you go through the castle section is going to cause a little bit of mayhem. There’s going to be difficulties.”
Keyword: New F1 Qualifying Format in Baku Could Cause ‘Mayhem’