F1 planing to avoid sprint qualifying ‘blur’ for fans Date published: May 28 2021 F1 technical consultant Rob Smedley says the series is busy brainstorming ways to avoid sprint qualifying passing the fans by. At the British Grand Prix in July, traditional Saturday qualifying for the first time will be replaced by a 100km sprint race, dubbed sprint qualifying, which will then set the grid for the Grand Prix on the Sunday. Silverstone will be the first of the trial rounds in 2021, with sprint qualifying expected to feature three times during the season. The format has been brought in to engage younger viewers, but at the same time Formula 1 must ensure that these 100km races do not come and go so quickly that fans are unable to keep up with what is happening.