Austrian GP 2023 full schedule: All you need to know as F1 Sprint weekend returns

The Formula 1 championship returns to the Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend for the Austrian GP 2023. It will be the Round 10 of the F1 2023 season with Red Bull racing leading both the drivers’ and constructors’ championship standings. Meanwhile, the new F1 sprint weekend format will be held for the second time this weekend in Spielberg, Austria.

3 Things You Need To Know

• Max Verstappen sits on top of drivers’ championship with a 69-point lead over 2nd-placed Sergio Perez
• Fernando Alonso sits third in the championship with 117 points, 9 less than Perez’s tally
• A total of six Sprint weekends were slated to be held during the F1 2023 season

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Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix 2023: What is an F1 Sprint race?

First introduced during the 2021 season, the F1 Sprint is a 100km race ahead of Sunday’s main race, with no pit stops unless the teams need repairs in their cars. It can be considered a T20 equivalent of cricket in F1. However, the F1 sprint format has undergone several key changes, which have been explained below. 

F1 Austrian GP 2023: What is the new 2023 F1 Sprint format?

As seen during the first sprint weekend of the season during the Azerbaijan GP, under the new sprint format, a total of two qualifying sessions will be held. The drivers and teams will have only one practice session to get their setups right before the qualifying session for Sunday’s main race gets underway. Saturday will then see teams competing in the Sprint shootout to determine the grid for the sprint race.

Full Schedule for the F1 Austrian GP 2023 (All timings in IST)

• Practice on Friday, June 30 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Qualifying on Friday, June 30 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Sprint Shootout on Saturday, July 01 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:14 p.m.
• Sprint Race on Saturday, July 1 from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Main Race on Sunday, July 2 from 6:30 p.m. IST onwards

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More about the Austrian GP weekend

The Austrian GP is held every year at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. Drivers complete a total of 71 laps during the main race on Sunday, covering a total race distance of 306.452 km. The circuit has a total of 10 corners, three DRS zones, and is 4.318 km long.