How you rated F1’s 12 sprint races so far – and why two outscored the grand prix

Formula 1’s divisive sprint race format returns for the fourth year this weekend with yet another tweak to its format.

While Formula One Management is always eager to hype up the format, its true popularity remains a matter of debate. RaceFans’ Rate the Race data shows sprint races have consistently failed to deliver the kind of excitement FOM insists they are designed for.

The 12 sprint races held so far received an average rating of 5.1 out of 10 from our readers. That compares to an average score for 316 grand prix held from 2008 to 2023 of 6.7 out of 10.

The figures are much the same when sprint races and grands prix are compared like-for-like. Over the 12 sprint race weekends held so far, grands prix received higher scores 10 times, with an average score one-and-a-half points higher. Here’s how you rated them all so far:

2021 British Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 6.3/10
Sprint race average rating: 4.9/10 (-1.4)

Formula 1’s first experience of sprint racing was a forgettable affair by any measure, but especially compared to the high drama of the grand prix the following day.

Max Verstappen nabbed the lead from pole-winner Lewis Hamilton at the start and the pair crossed the line pursued by Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc at the end of lap one. They remained in that order until the chequered flag fell after 17 laps in 25 minutes of racing, Verstappen picking up three points for his victory.

The session also set the starting order for the grand prix. In the main event Hamilton and Verstappen resumed their scrap, which ended with the Red Bull in the Copse barrier halfway around the first lap. Hamilton recovered from a 10-second penalty to deny Charles Leclerc victory, to Red Bull’s utter fury.

2021 Italian Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 8.4/10
Sprint race average rating: 3.2/10 (-5.2)

Another ‘sprint qualifying’ weekend, another clash in the grand prix between Hamilton and Verstappen, the latter landing on top of his rival having fallen behind him due to a slow pit stop.

Hamilton had left himself with work to do having started the sprint race poorly, falling from second to fifth at the start. He made no progress from there as the top eight places remain unchanged from start to finish. Pierre Gasly’s first-lap crash was the only noteworthy moment in a race Valtteri Bottas won with ease.

Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn admitted he was “surprised how difficult it was to overtake even with DRS” as “this was one of the races we selected because we thought there would be more opportunity.” Monza has not been chosen for a sprint race since.

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2021 Brazilian Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 8.3/10
Sprint race average rating: 5.5/10 (-2.8)

With Hamilton stuck at the back of the grid having been disqualified from qualifying due to a technical infringement, and Verstappen on pole position, the final sprint race of 2021 looked likely to put more distance between the championship contenders. But Bottas claimed the lead at the start and won, reducing Verstappen’s haul by a single point, while Hamilton gained a remarkable 15 places in 24 laps.

But again the grand prix brought real drama as the title contenders duelled once more and this time managed not to hit each other – but only just, Verstappen almost throwing his car at Hamilton as he controversially re-passed his rival by sending both off-track at Subida do Lago. Hamilton came back at his rival and re-passed him for a win which kept his championship hopes alive.

2022 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 6/10
Sprint race average rating: 5.4/10 (-0.6)

Verstappen took pole but Charles Leclerc nabbed the lead at the start and Zhou Guanyu crashed, triggering a Safety Car period. The Red Bull’s superior tyre degradation told, however, and he passed Leclerc with two laps to go, collecting an increased reward of eight points for his win.

Starting the grand prix from the positions they finished Saturday’s race in, Leclerc dropped two places. Pressing Sergio Perez with 11 laps to go, he spun off at Variante Alta and had to pit, leaving him sixth at the flag.

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2022 Austrian Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 7.8/10
Sprint race average rating: 4.5/10 (-3.3)

F1 has settled on the Red Bull Ring as one of its preferred venues for sprint races. The Austrian circuit will hold its third sprint event in a row this year.

Not a lot happened in its first, however, as the top four held the same positions throughout. Perez, who qualified a poor 13th in his Red Bull, climbed to fifth at the finish.

The main event proved one of the year’s more engaging fights between Red Bull and Ferrari. This time Leclerc prevailed though a late fire on Carlos Sainz Jnr’s car denied Ferrari a one-two.

2022 Brazilian Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 8.2/10
Sprint race average rating: 7.4/10 (-0.8)

Kevin Magnussen played a rain-hit qualifying session to perfection and claimed pole position – but only for the sprint race, not the grand prix. He dropped backwards quickly, collecting a point for eighth place.

However this sprint race, the last to decide the starting order for a grand prix, proved more eventful than most. Although Verstappen took the lead, Red Bull had not nailed their strategy as effectively as usual, and he was caught and passed by both Mercedes and Sainz’s Ferrari before the flag dropped.

The grand prix served up more drama 2021-style, however, as Verstappen and Hamilton clashed again. That ended the Mercedes driver’s hopes of catching his team mate, who scored his first grand prix victory. Poor Magnussen was bundled out on the first lap by Daniel Ricciardo, and Haas are still waiting for their first grand prix pole position.

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2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 3.7/10
Sprint race average rating: 3.6/10 (-0.1)

Sprint races became standalone events last year, as seen in Formula 2 and Formula 3, which no longer decide the starting order for the grid. The first saw a tangle between Verstappen and Russell, and not much else, while pole winner Leclerc was easily passed by Perez.

He triumphed in the grand prix as well, leading Verstappen as they picked their way past Leclerc and put over 20 seconds on their pursuers in one of the less memorable weekends on Baku’s streets.

2023 Austrian Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 6.5/10
Sprint race average rating: 7.1/10 (+0.6)

The first sprint race to receive a higher score than the grand prix held on the same weekend had the advantage of being held in wet conditions, which tend to create unpredictability. Sure enough Nico Hulkenberg briefly got his Haas up to second and clung on for sixth place as other drivers made late progress by switching to slicks.

The grand prix, won by Verstappen at a canter, was notable chiefly for the extraordinary number of post-race penalties handed down for track limits infringements. A total of nine drivers were sanctioned.

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2023 Belgian Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 5.5/10
Sprint race average rating: 4.7/10 (-0.8)

Heavy rain forced the sprint race to be delayed at Spa last year. Once it began the field circulated behind the Safety Car for so long only seven laps were covered under racing conditions.

Oscar Piastri took the lead through an early pit stop to discard his mandatory wet weather tyres for intermediates, but Verstappen passed him to win by six seconds. Pierre Gasly took a strong third for Alpine.

The grand prix was dry and although Perez led the early stages, Verstappen recovered from his qualifying penalty to take the lead and cruise to victory by 22 seconds.

2023 Qatar Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 5.2/10
Sprint race average rating: 6.4/10 (+1.2)

The winding Losail International Circuit layout seemed an unpromising venue for a sprint race, but the recently resurfaced track posed challenges for teams who pursued a variety of tyre selections. That, plus a dramatic three-car collision which decided the world championship, made for one of the more memorable sprint races.

The grand prix was an odd affair, shaped by one-off rules forcing drivers to repeatedly pit after Pirelli discovered problems with its tyres. Mercedes’ hopes of challenging Verstappen ended when their drivers tangled at the first corner, and from there the outcome was never in doubt.

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2023 United States Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 6.8/10
Sprint race average rating: 3.4/10 (-3.4)

These two races were night-and-day different. On Saturday, Verstappen led Hamilton and Leclerc all the way. On Sunday Leclerc lost the lead to Lando Norris at the start, but the real fight for the lead was between Hamilton and Verstappen. A slow pit stop by Red Bull gave Mercedes a chance, but Hamilton was compromised by his tyre strategy, and later disqualified from second place due to a technical infringement.

2023 Brazilian Grand Prix

Grand prix average rating: 6.6/10
Sprint race average rating: 5.1/10 (-1.5)

Verstappen was on course for another sprint race win as soon as he motored past Norris when the lights went out. The McLaren driver fell to third behind Russell but later regained second place as both Mercedes drivers slipped back with high tyre degradation.

The grand prix was a similar story, though Norris was quick enough to keep Verstappen honest. Mercedes suffered another dire afternoon while Fernando Alonso impressively denied Perez the final podium position.

Find all our race and circuit ratings here:

• Rate the Race: Top 100 Formula 1 grands prix
• Rate the Race: Bottom 10 Formula 1 grands prix
• Rate the Race: Circuit ratings

*The 2014 Japanese Grand Prix is not included due to Jules Bianchi’s crash and the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix is not included due to a technical fault