2022 Australian GP not likely to have Sprint Qualifying. 2022 Australian GP not likely to have Sprint Qualifying.

The 2022 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place on the April 7-10 weekend will run according to a traditional race weekend format and will therefore not include a Sprint Qualifying format.

The possibility of a Sprint Race was evaluated during a meeting between the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation Andrew Westacott and Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali a few weeks ago. The Sprint Race format was tested this year on three occasions and according to the first impressions it seems interesting for the commercial rights holders in adding further value to a Formula 1 weekend.

As a result, more Sprint Qualifying races have been announced for the 2022 Formula One season, but most likely not at the Albert Park circuit:

“They haven’t finalised the number nor the locations of the sprint formats for 2022” – Andrew Westacott explained, as reported by Speedcafe.com – “But it looks highly likely that we will retain the standard format of FP1 and FP2 on Friday, FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday afternoon. So fans, if they’re looking for Sprint formats, would have to be looking at either on some of the European locations or on broadcast, but it’s not likely to be in Melbourne for April 2022.” – he added.

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Formula 1 will return to Australia in 2022, with widening and reprofiling work looking to have made a dramatic impact on the venue. New technical rules will lead to cars that generate their speed differently, as Andrew Westacott believes these aspects will create even more interest in the event next season”:

“It’s going to change the racing, it’s going to change, obviously, the pecking order a bit,” he explained, when asked about the changes to both the Australian circuit and Formula 1 cars for 2022 – “They’ll shake down things technically in race one and race two – we’re going to see things on a new track with new cars with a lot of new drivers for the first time in Melbourne [for race three]. None of them have driven this track before, and they certainly haven’t driven it in a new spec car, so that promises to be full on. They’re going to have to test the cars, they’re going to have to test the track. We hope for a new speed limit in pit lane and probably for DRS zones, so there’s going to be a lot to get their mind around. They’re not going to know much about the asphalt from a simulator point of view, so it’s going to be interesting.” – he added/

While the Australian Grand Prix won’t see Sprint Qualifying in use next year, that doesn’t close the door longer term: “As a promoter, I really want to make sure that we’ve got the best and most complete entertainment package on track. I’m open minded at the moment and I’m very supporting of Formula 1 looking at the right solution for race promoters and the entertainment. Over time, I’m sure they’ll come up with something, I’m just open minded and content with having the GP and having the current format.” – the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Grand Prix concluded.