The FIA Approves New Format for Sprint Weekends
During a meeting in Geneva, the FIA World Council approved the changes to the Sprint weekend format, which had already been endorsed by the F1 Commission. The new format will see Sprint qualifications taking place on Friday afternoon, followed by the Sprint race on Saturday morning. Grand Prix qualifications will now be held on Saturday afternoon, with the Grand Prix race concluding the weekend on Sunday. As previously announced, six Sprint weekends will take place in 2024.
Technical Regulations and Circuit Commission Updates
In terms of technical regulations, provisions have been made to allow teams to add cooling devices for the drivers in cases of extreme heat. The World Council also approved unique suppliers for the 2026 power units for the oil level sensor, fuel flow meter, and pressure and temperature sensors.
Following the recent incident in Las Vegas, where non-permanent circuits were not presented in a timely manner for final inspection, a proposal was approved to introduce a minimum period of 24 hours between the final inspection and the first competitive activity on the track to ensure that the circuit is ready on time. All non-permanent circuits must be presented for a final inspection 48 hours before the proposed start date of the first competitive track activity for an international competition, and then 24 hours before the first competitive track activity of any international competition, unless otherwise agreed upon by the FIA.
This final inspection is typically conducted the day before the first track activity and must be completed to the satisfaction of the FIA. All specific conditions and requirements outlined in the regulations must be met before the circuit license can be issued.
For more information on the approved changes, visit the link provided for further details.