How does the sprint race work in F1? Schedule, qualifying, points and more

Whether you love it or hate it -- the F1 sprint format is back for round two in China.

It's already the fifth season of the sprint format, which has seen a few different iterations since it was first trialed in 2021.

Here's what you need to know about the format, points and more for the Chinese Grand Prix.

What is the F1 sprint format?

Debuting in 2021, but not a new concept in grand prix racing, F1's sprint races double the amount of actual racing fans see at the track over the course of the weekend.

While the actual Chinese Grand Prix will be 56 laps, the sprint race will be just 19. Most sprint races see no planned pit stops.

How are the race sessions different on sprint weekends?

The sprint format completely changes how an F1 race weekend looks versus a regular weekend.

Is sprint qualifying different than regular qualifying?

Yes, but only slightly.

Of course, sprint qualifying sets the grid for the sprint race, while grand prix qualifying sets the grid for the grand prix.

Both types of qualifying feature three sessions -- in the first session, the five slowest drivers are dropped and the starting positions are set from P16-20. Then the second session drops the next five slowest drivers and sets the positions for P11-15. The third and final session sets P1-10.

What is different is the length of the sessions.

In grand prix qualifying, Q1 is 18 minutes, Q2 is 15 minutes and Q3 is 12 minutes. But in sprint qualifying, the pace is quicker -- SQ1 (Sprint Qualifying session 1) is 12 minutes, SQ2 is 10 minutes and SQ3 is just eight minutes. This ultimately forces a more frantic session ahead of the sprint.

How are points awarded in the F1 sprint?

In the grand prix, 10 drivers can grab points, with the maximum points haul for a driver being 25.

In the sprint, just the top eight get points, and the maximum amount of points is eight.

Does the sprint race result affect the grand prix at all?

Not anymore.

At one point, drivers' sprint finish would be where they start the grand prix. But after a lot of tentative driving in the earlier sprints, F1 axed that entirely.

Sprint qualifying and the sprint are their own, separate entity. Once the sprint ends, all focus goes on the grand prix.

How many sprints are there in 2025?

Just as there were last year, there will be six sprint weekends in 2025. Five of the six sprint weekends are the same as 2024, with Belgium replacing Austria.