F1: Sprint race format for 2022 still unclear

(GMM) Gunther Steiner admits he isn’t sure if Formula 1’s ‘sprint qualifying’ trial has failed.

With the 2022 season looming, time is running out for the FIA to negotiate with teams who are demanding a slight relaxation of the budget cap rules to cope with the extra cost of a second race per ‘sprint’ weekend.

F1 intended to expand last year’s three-round sprint race trial to as many as seven sprints in 2022.

But with the three top teams reportedly concerned about extra costs, with one reportedly demanding a $5 million relaxation, the measure may now need to wait until 2023 when a majority vote will be sufficient.

As a result, some think there could be just three sprints again in 2022 – or perhaps even none at all.

“I don’t know what will happen,” Haas team boss Steiner admits.

“We will have a meeting of the Formula 1 Commission in ten days – we’ll know more after that.”

He said the most likely outcome at the moment is that Formula 1 simply runs a repeat of 2021, when the teams were happy to agree to the three-round trial.

“I think we will have three sprints again,” Steiner admitted. “But I don’t know exactly so let’s see what will happen.

“I still can’t answer the question about how many sprint weekends there will be.”