sprint_results.py

Fetch Formula 1 sprint race results

sprint_results.py

The sprint_results.py script fetches results from Formula 1 sprint races. Sprint races are shorter format races introduced in 2021 that determine part of the starting grid for the main Grand Prix.

Overview

This script uses the SprintResultsFetcher class to:

• Fetch sprint race results from the Ergast API
• Check if a race weekend includes a sprint
• Save sprint results to structured JSON files
• Handle races that don’t have sprints gracefully

Sprint races were introduced in 2021. Only select races each season feature sprint formats.

SprintResultsFetcher Class

Initialization

sprint_results.py

class SprintResultsFetcher:
    def __init__(self, base_dir="."):
        self.base_dir = Path(base_dir)
        self.base_url = "https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1"
        # Rate limits
        self.burst_limit = 4  # requests per second
        self.last_request_time = 0

Key Methods

has_sprint()

Checks if a race has a sprint event.

sprint_results.py

def has_sprint(self, race):
    """Check if a race has a sprint event"""
    return "Sprint" in race

Parameters:

• race (dict): Race information object

Returns:

• bool: True if race has a sprint, False otherwise

get_sprint_results()

Fetches sprint results from the API.

sprint_results.py

def get_sprint_results(self, season, round_num):
    """Get sprint results for a specific season and round"""
    url = f"{self.base_url}/{season}/{round_num}/sprint.json"
    return self.make_request(url)

Parameters:

• season (int): F1 season year
• round_num (int): Round number

Returns:

• dict: Sprint results data or None

fetch_sprint_for_round()

Main method to fetch and save sprint results.

sprint_results.py

def fetch_sprint_for_round(self, season, round_num):
    """Fetch sprint results for a specific season and round"""
    logger.info(f"Fetching sprint results for season {season}, round {round_num}")
    
    # Create season directory
    season_dir = self.base_dir / str(season)
    os.makedirs(season_dir, exist_ok=True)
    
    # Get race information
    race = self.get_race_info(season, round_num)
    
    if not race:
        logger.warning(f"Race information not found for season {season}, round {round_num}")
        return False
    
    race_name = self.get_race_folder_name(race)
    
    # Check if race has a sprint
    if not self.has_sprint(race):
        logger.warning(f"No sprint for {race_name} (Round {round_num}) in season {season}")
        return False
    
    logger.info(f"Found sprint race: {race_name} (Round {round_num})")
    
    # Create race directory
    race_dir = season_dir / race_name
    os.makedirs(race_dir, exist_ok=True)
    
    # Get sprint results
    sprint_results = self.get_sprint_results(season, round_num)
    
    if sprint_results:
        sprint_results_path = race_dir / "sprint_results.json"
        return self.save_json(sprint_results, sprint_results_path)
    else:
        logger.warning(f"No sprint results found for {race_name} (Round {round_num}) in season {season}")
        return False

Parameters:

• season (int): F1 season year
• round_num (int): Round number

Returns:

• bool: True if sprint results were successfully saved, False otherwise

Usage

Basic Usage

from sprint_results import SprintResultsFetcher

fetcher = SprintResultsFetcher(base_dir=".")

# Fetch sprint results for 2024 China (if it has a sprint)
fetcher.fetch_sprint_for_round(2024, 5)

# Fetch sprint results for 2024 Miami
fetcher.fetch_sprint_for_round(2024, 6)

Fetch All Sprints in a Season

fetcher = SprintResultsFetcher()

# Try all rounds - will skip races without sprints
for round_num in range(1, 25):
    success = fetcher.fetch_sprint_for_round(2024, round_num)
    if success:
        print(f"Sprint found and saved for round {round_num}")

API Endpoint

GET https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1/{season}/{round}/sprint.json

Example:

GET https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1/2024/6/sprint.json

Output Structure

Sprint results are saved to: {year}/{race-slug}/sprint_results.json

{
  "MRData": {
    "RaceTable": {
      "season": "2024",
      "round": "6",
      "Races": [
        {
          "season": "2024",
          "round": "6",
          "raceName": "Miami Grand Prix",
          "SprintResults": [
            {
              "number": "1",
              "position": "1",
              "points": "8",
              "Driver": {
                "driverId": "verstappen",
                "code": "VER",
                "givenName": "Max",
                "familyName": "Verstappen"
              },
              "Constructor": {
                "constructorId": "red_bull",
                "name": "Red Bull"
              },
              "Time": {
                "time": "27:14.567"
              },
              "status": "Finished"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Sprint Race Format

Sprint races have evolved since their introduction:

Points Distribution

2021-2022 Format:

• P1: 3 points
• P2: 2 points
• P3: 1 point

2023-Present Format:

• P1: 8 points
• P2: 7 points
• P3: 6 points
• P4: 5 points
• P5: 4 points
• P6: 3 points
• P7: 2 points
• P8: 1 point

Sprint Weekend Schedule

1. Friday: Practice + Sprint Qualifying
2. Saturday: Sprint Race + Main Qualifying
3. Sunday: Grand Prix

Sprint Races by Season

Season	Number of Sprints	Notable Races
2021	3	Silverstone, Monza, São Paulo
2022	3	Imola, Red Bull Ring, São Paulo
2023	6	Baku, Spielberg, Spa, Qatar, COTA, São Paulo
2024	6	China, Miami, Red Bull Ring, COTA, São Paulo, Qatar

Check the official F1 calendar at the start of each season to see which races will feature sprint formats.

Checking for Sprints

The script automatically detects sprint races by checking the race object for a Sprint field:

if "Sprint" in race:
    # This race has a sprint
    fetch_sprint_results()
else:
    # Regular race weekend
    skip()

Logging

Log file: sprint_results_fetch.log

See Also

• Sprint Races Data Collection
• Race Results
• Qualifying Results
• JSON Schemas