F1 Sprint: What's changed for 2022 as format returns at Imola?

Sprint returns for the first time this season at Imola this weekend, as the new Formula 1 format enters its second year of being incorporated in the World Championship.

Sprint was introduced in 2021 as a way of delivering more meaningful race action over the course of a weekend, with Silverstone, Monza and Sao Paulo picked as the tracks to host the different format.

Indeed, it certainly provided a few flashpoints along the way, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton battling hard at Silverstone, whilst the Mercedes man put on a fine performance in Brazil to charge through the field.

It’s back for another year, then, but what are the changes to Sprint for 2022 compared to 2021? We take a closer look now…

One of the key big changes is that the points on offer now go all the way down to 8th place instead of 3rd, and there are therefore more up for grabs.

In 2021, the winner of Sprint would get three points, second would get two and third would get one, with those in behind sometimes opting to stop pushing and save their car for the Grand Prix on Sunday, as there was little chance of getting points on the board.

Instead, then, it’s now 8 points for the winner down to 1 point for 8th place, meaning there is more at stake and, in terms of the championships, more chance of these Sprint results having a final bearing on the overall standings.

The Sprint result will still set the grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday, and the Sprint remains a third in length of the feature event in two things that have been carried over from 2021.

We saw some incredible #F1Sprint racing in 2021