How does a Formula 1 race weekend work?
F1 News
A Formula 1 weekend always means track action on Friday and Saturday before the Grand Prix takes place on Sunday. There are two different formats used currently in Formula 1. Most weekends use the traditional format of three practice sessions before qualifying and Sunday's Grand Prix. In 2023, there are six sprint race weekends where there is only one practice session, two qualifying sessions and two races.
How does the traditional Formula 1 race weekend work?
The traditional Formula 1 race weekend starts on a Friday. Teams and drivers are given two 60-minute sessions of free practice. During this, teams can determine their own run plan as they shakedown, test new parts, and get the set-up finely tuned. FP1 (free practice one) usually features more of the testing, whereas in FP2 (free practice two), there is more focus on the set-up for the rest of the weekend. The first half of FP2 is usually focused on the qualifying set-up before teams fill their cars with fuel to test race pace. Though this isn't a fixed plan.
Overnight, drivers will report back to their engineers about the feeling within the cockpit. The teams will also work on the data. They then get a third 60-minute session of free practice to finalise setups. Qualifying then takes place on a Saturday afternoon. Once qualifying starts, the cars are locked in parc fermé, meaning no alterations can be made to the F1 cars.
Qualifying is split into three parts. Q1, Q2 and Q3. Q1 lasts 18 minutes, and the slowest five drivers are eliminated. Their grid position is then set in stone for Sunday's Grand Prix. The times are then wiped clean, and the remaining 15 drivers will return to the track for Q2. This lasts 15 minutes, and the slowest five drivers are eliminated again. This forms the grid for places 11th-15th. The times are wiped clear again, and the remaining ten drivers have 12 minutes to push for the fastest lap. The driver who finishes this part of qualifying fastest will be on pole for Sunday's Grand Prix.
The Grand Prix takes place on a Sunday and is around 300km. Teams are forced to use two different sets of compound tyres in dry weather. It usually lasts around 90-120 minutes.
How do sprint race weekends work?
Sprint race weekends feature just one 60-minute practice session on a Friday. The teams then use the traditional version of qualifying but on a Friday instead of a Saturday. This still forms the grid for the main event on a Sunday. Saturday is then its own isolated sprint day, though points are still added to the World Championship standings. There is a sprint shootout, a shortened version of qualifying on a Saturday morning. This is followed by a sprint race which is around 100km. The full sprint race weekend format is explained here.