New F1 sprint format + DRS and engine limit tweaks announced

Formula 1 has released details of its new sprint weekend format as well as changes to DRS activation and power unit allocations.

Friday of sprint race weekends will now feature practice one and sprint race qualifying instead of FP1 and grand prix qualifying.

The sprint race will then be the first on-track F1 action on Saturday, which will then effectively conclude the sprint element of the weekend.

Grand prix qualifying will take place after the sprint race has concluded on Saturday, with the grand prix itself still on a Sunday.

This marks the third alteration to F1's sprint format in the four seasons it's been implemented and follows talks of mooted format changes throughout 2023.

The first sprint race of the year will be held at the Chinese Grand Prix (returning for the first time since 2019), and further sprints will take place at Miami, Austria, Austin, Brazil and Qatar.

Alongside changes to the sprint format, it was revealed that DRS will now be activated at the end of the first lap, rather than at the end of the second lap. The same applies when the race restarts after a safety car period.

The power unit allocation for each driver has also risen from three to four power units per year for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.