F1 ANNOUNCES AUSTRALIAN GP START TIME

F1 announces Australian Grand Prix start time – Image: LAT

Formula 1 has announced the start time of the rescheduled Australian Grand Prix for 2021 amongst several F1 weekend format changes.

By DAN McCARTHY

The Australian Grand Prix has been scheduled to begin at 5.00pm local time in Melbourne on the 21st of November.

This comes as F1 bosses confirmed the start date of all F1 races and announced that all Grand Prix’s this year will convert back to starting on the hour.

Since 2018 all Formula 1 races have begun at 10 past the hour in a bid to appeal to TV networks, however after three years this concept has been dropped.

Another change announced by F1 is the reduction in practice from a total of four hours down to three.

Traditionally the weekend begins with two 90-minute practice sessions on Friday and a one-hour session on Saturday morning.

This will be altered for the 2021 season with both the Friday sessions reduced from 90 to 60 minutes.

It is hoped that the one-hour reduction in practice will force teams to remain on track for much of the session.

With two 90-minute sessions, many viewers at home and spectators at the circuit were forced to wait for sustained periods of time with no F1 cars on circuit.

It is believed that the condensed sessions will not rob fans of any on track activity, it is believed that it will keep the action flowing throughout the hour.

F1 also confirmed the start times of the other Australian F1 sessions, practice 1 will take place from 12:30 – 13:30 and practice 2 from 16:00 – 17:00.

On Saturday practice 3 takes place from 14:00 – 15:00 and qualifying from 17:00 – 18:00.

The Formula 1 season will begin in Bahrain on March 26 and will see the first season opener held at the Sakhir circuit since 2010.

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