Clarity Amongst The Red Mist?

Mercedes, F1, 2020 AGP. (C)

    Undoubtedly Netflix's intriguing series "Drive To Survive" covering Formula One's behind the scenes machinations has provided a wider comprehension to us seasoned fans, but also attracted a vast number of new fans to this fascinating sport. People have mentioned to us that they never considered watching F1. Drive To Survive has changed all that. Now they wait with baited breath for the next instalment of F1 racing. Broadening F1's fanbase and keeping them enthralled has prompted the governing body to refresh the weekend's racing format. Introducing  Saturday Sprint Qualifying Races. 
    In 2021, 3 events will have a Saturday 100km sprint race which will determine the starting grid for Sunday's Grand Prix. Two held at European events, mooted at the British and Italian GP's. The third at an overseas event, possibly the Brazilian GP. To summarise, Friday will consist of Free Practise One of 60 minutes duration, followed by Qualifying as we currently know it to set grid positions for Saturday's sprint race. Saturday will comprise Free Practise Two and the 100km Qualifying Sprint Race in the afternoon which sets the grid positions for the Grand Prix itself. Sunday will feature the Grand Prix as always. The Saturday race will have no compulsory pit stop and championship points will be awarded to the top three place getters. 3 points for first, 2 for second and 1 for third. We won't go into the tyre allocation restrictions at this point, but the top 10 qualifiers do not have to start the GP on the tyres with which they qualified on. The cars enter parc ferme conditions before qualifying on Friday.
    The Saturday sprint races could potentially add some favourable or perhaps not so favourable tangents to the weekend. The cars towards the back of the grid will certainly be racing as hard as possible to improve their starting positions for the Grand Prix. But what of the guys in the middle or even the front of the grid? If you're starting in P8, are you liable to send one up the inside of the car in front with two laps to go, knowing in the back of your mind that improving your grid spot by one place will still have you starting on the fourth row for the GP? Would the guys starting on the front row dice just as hard into Turn 1 knowing that if they took each other out, they would be starting at the back of the grid for the GP? While we hope parc ferme conditions after Friday practise will relieve the team's mechanic's workload, a crash in the sprint race will put them back under the pump. Contrarily, would the drivers starting in say P4 or 5 race as hard as they would in the GP knowing that an improvement at the chequered flag would not only move them closer to the front for the GP grid, but also garner them championship points? Or simply, once the lights go out, would racing drivers just be racing drivers and let the red mist descend? The unknown to us humble punters will be fascinating.
    The current knockout qualifying session builds the tension up nicely, so we're pleased that that remains. Now we have extra racing to escalate the excitement. We as fans are the winners. Edge of the chair stuff eh?
        

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