Spa and Baku are among six F1 sprint venues for 2023

With the FIA ​​recently giving the go-ahead to increase the number of sprints next year from the current three, F1 chiefs have thought carefully about where best to stage the events.

At an F1 Commission meeting in Abu Dhabi on Friday, part of the talks focused on plans for the 2023 season and where the sprints should take place.

Several sources have confirmed that F1 has told the teams that its current plan is for the sprints to go ahead:

Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku

Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring

Belgian Grand Prix – Spa-Francorchamps

Qatar Grand Prix – Losail

United States Grand Prix – Austin

Brazilian Grand Prix – Interlagos

Although the venues are not yet fully set in stone, with Saudi Arabia remaining in contention for a possible switch with Qatar, high-level sources say the other venues are pretty much locked down.

The choice of venues is slightly different from the six preferred F1 venues that were originally planned for this season, before those plans were canceled by teams rejecting the idea of ​​more sprints.

For 2022, F1 had wanted sprints in Bahrain, Imola, Canada, Austria, the Netherlands and Brazil.

Motorsport.com understands that the change in some venues is due to a desire to ensure sprints are held at venues where the overtaking opportunities are great – rather than venues that were willing to pay the most for the privilege of overtaking. welcome a sprint.

F1 has an overtaking index for tracks which shows which venues are best for racing, and that played a big factor in their choice.

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com about the driving force behind the change in sprint venues, F1 managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn said: “These are not necessarily the most lucrative options on the business plan, but these are the ones we thought the sprint would work well for.

“We try to find a balance. And that’s what we will always do. We will never compromise on the event.

As well as settling on sprint locations, F1 is still weighing the idea of ​​making Saturday races stand-alone events so they don’t decide the grid for the main grand prix.