F1: Alonso Expects Sprint Format to Impede Aston Martin AMR23 Progress in Austria

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso is concerned that the sprint weekend format at the Austrian Grand Prix could hinder the team's efforts to fully utilise the benefits of their recent upgrade. During the Canadian Grand Prix, Aston Martin upgraded the AMR23 with more aggressive sidepod bodywork and a new floor design, helping Fernando Alonso to his sixth podium result of the season, in second place behind Max Verstappen. However, Alonso thinks the forthcoming Austrian GP, the second sprint race of the season after Azerbaijan, may impede Aston Martin's attempts to fully comprehend the consequences of their modifications. On Friday, drivers will participate in a qualifying session to decide their starting positions for the main race on Saturday, while the sprint event will have a qualifying shootout and the actual race. Teams only have one full practice session to dial in their setups and verify any vehicle improvements on Friday afternoon.

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F1: Aston Martin’s 2023 Season

One of the most memorable highlights of the 2023 Formula 1 season has been Aston Martin's incredible rise from mid-pack to frequent podium challengers. The Silverstone-based squad controlled by Canadian tycoon Lawrence Stroll is now in third place. They are behind only runaway leaders Red Bull and defending champions Mercedes.

After switching teams from Renault-owned Alpine to Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso has been on the podium six times in eight races, including two runner-up finishes. Behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the drivers' rankings, the Spaniard is the best of the rest. In addition, Aston Martin has poached some of Red Bull's most important technical staff, including technical director Dan Fallows. 

In Canada, Aston Martin debuted a comprehensive improvement package, with Fernando Alonso finishing second in the upgraded AMR23. The team was too cautious to let the Spaniard display his actual potential, therefore he ended nine seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen. This weekend, Aston Martin hopes to repeat that success with Fernando Alonso at the wheel of the updated AMR23. The team is shifting its strategy from defence against Mercedes and Ferrari to offence against the frontrunners.

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F1: 2023 Formula 1 Sprint Race

The 2023 Formula 1 season, which had previously been to Canada, will return to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team go into the race as the current leaders in the Drivers' and Constructors' standings, respectively, and will be looking to extend their dominance on home turf. There will be some variation from the typical weekend schedule in Austria, since the Sprint is making its second appearance of the year. 

Formula 1 introduced sprint races in 2021 to provide variety to the action and give a different structure from the typical grand prix weekend. Each day of the racing weekend (Friday for qualifying, Saturday for the sprint, and Sunday for the grand prix) would include a competitive session thanks to their creation. 

The Formula One sprint race formula has undergone its most recent evolution this season. Now that the grand prix is on Sunday, qualifying on Friday has no bearing on anything that happens on Saturday. The one and only practise session will take place on Friday at the customary time, just before the qualifying heats begin. This determines the starting order for the grand prix on Sunday and has no influence on the sprint qualifying or race on Saturday. 

Instead of a Saturday pratice session, F1 now features a morning qualifying session before the afternoon sprint race. Sprint qualifying is effectively a shortened version of normal qualifying, with Q1 lasting 12 minutes, Q2 lasting 10 minutes, and Q3 lasting 8 minutes. The sprint race is 100km long and will provide points to the top eight finishers, same as it did in 2022. There are eight points up for grabs for the victor, seven for runner-up, and so on down to one for eighth place. 

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