F1’s new sprint format will rob teams of key long run data

Following approval at this week’s F1 Commission meeting, this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix will witness a revamped schedule.

Saturday’s running will be completely standalone from the rest of the weekend, with there being a sprint shootout qualifying session in the morning followed by the short race in the afternoon.

The change means that teams will lose the normal Saturday morning free practice session where they have traditionally gathered their long run data…