F1 teams set for crunch talks over sprint races
Formula 1 teams are set for further talks this weekend to try to push on with plans for sprint qualifying trials, with the financial details still to be settled.

As reported by Autosport, a lot of the issues surrounding the idea for three Saturday sprint races have been agreed among teams.
However, one factor that continues to divide them is over the compensation that teams will be offered for the potential extra costs that could come as the result of Saturday sprint races.
One of the biggest concerns is for extra damage that is associated with racing, including the likelihood of more broken front wings due to lap-one incidents.
While it is understood that F1 has offered teams a payment that it thinks will cover any extra costs, some big spending outfits are pushing for much more.
Sources suggest that they want as much as three times the amount on offer – up to around an extra $1 million – with the new cost cap limit also being increased by such an amount.
Such a request does not have universal support, however, and there are fears from some smaller teams that the big hitters will use the extra leeway in the budget cap to fuel performance spending.

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
With no agreement on the matter having been forthcoming, F1 chiefs, including CEO Stefano Domenicali, will hold talks with teams over the Bahrain weekend to try to get everyone on the same page.
If enough progress is made, and consensus is reached among the vast majority of teams, then F1 could choose to put the sprint race proposal to a vote over the next few days.
Should the sprint race plan go ahead, then the idea is for them to be trialled at three races this year – the British, Italian and Brazilian Grands Prix.
Under the plans, a normal qualifying session will take place on the Friday of a grand prix weekend, with a 100km qualifying sprint on Saturday then deciding the grid for Sunday's main event.
The shorter sprint is set to offer a small number of points too, with three on offer for the winner, two for second place and one for third.
Related video

Previous article
What to expect from F1's rookie trio in 2021
Next article
Tsunoda explains early DRS use at Bahrain F1 test

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Author | Jonathan Noble |
F1 teams set for crunch talks over sprint races
Trending
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his team-mate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen’s emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber team-mate’s own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here’s how Nick Heidfeld’s career was chilled by the Iceman