FIA Alters Friday Practice Session Timing in F1

Announcements have been issued to team leaders in Formula One, with the FIA confirming practice sessions on Friday will be reduced to sixty minutes. It’s a prominent change that offers team minimal opportunity to assess track conditions on the first day of race weeks. FIA Regulators guaranteed the paddock numerous changes would arrive throughout 2021 & 2022, allowing governing personnel to account for Covid’s financial disruptions. Limiting the amount of time permitted during practice sessions on Friday’s are meant to financially benefit teams. It’ll eliminate costs on repairs & fuel, which can be better prioritized for practice sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

The decrease in time available during practice sessions is prominent, with previous regulations over decades of time permitting two sessions at 90-Minutes on Friday. An additional session was supported on Saturday’s, totalling three before Qualifying & the Grand Prix. Previous regulation standards listed with the FIA state on article 32.1 that two free practice sessions sustaining an hour’s lengths of time will be hosted on Friday. An official update to regulations hasn’t been listed on public documents to date. This suggests that team personnel & the FIA are still negotiating on the best possible route for legislative changes.

Saturday & Sunday Sessions Only

Reports issued by inside personnel with Formula One notified that Friday sessions could be eliminated entirely. FIA Regulators are determining alongside team personnel if practices could be held on exclusively Saturday’s. That’s been seen once over recent seasons, with FIA personnel introducing practice sessions to Saturday’s at the Imola Grand Prix in 2020. This format would provide better capabilities at Formula One defending itself from coronavirus outbreaks.

Team personnel wouldn’t be required to spend the same timeframes together as seen in 2020. However, updates regarding this legislative change hasn’t been issued by inside sources or the Formula International Association. It’s likely that regulation alterations announced on December 30th will follow through into Formula One’s 2021 campaign. It’s another confirmation amongst many that’s resulting in an entirely different season on Formula One for 2021 & 2022.