After a substantial off-season break in Formula One, the eagerly awaited Formula One 2024 season is finally making a comeback with abundant changes and enhancements across all teams, as the audience finds themselves enduring an extended period of suspense.
However, there is some confusion among spectators as the opening Grand Prix is scheduled to take place in Bahrain on Saturday, March 2, diverging from the traditional Sunday format.
Why there is a Saturday race in Bahrain GP?
The Bahrain opening race is mainly scheduled for a Saturday due to Ramadan, a holy time period for Muslims throughout the world. The annual fasting period for Muslims begins on Sunday, March 10, at sunset in 2024. Due to this, the organisers of the motorsports wanted to make sure that Saudi Arabia’s Grand Prix’s round two concludes on Saturday, as it is mainly an Islamic country.
AKHIRNYA, RACE WEEK!!!! šš
— F1 Speed Indonesia (@f1speed_indo) February 26, 2024
Ronde 01: GP Bahrain, 29 Feb – 2 Mar 2024
*mengingatkan, edisi tahun ini GP Bahrain & Arab Saudi balapan digelar pada hari Sabtu. Bukan Minggu. Supaya bisa digelar sebelum Ramadan tiba š pic.twitter.com/Fr4ECHRCFf
The first two practice sessions in Jeddah will occur on Thursday, affecting the schedule of the opening weekend in Bahrain, which is scheduled a week before Saudi Arabia. Normally, on a race weekend, teams always arrive on Wednesday; however, as the free practice sessions are held in Jeddah on Thursday, they will need to be present on Tuesday, which will be impossible to achieve if the race takes place on Sunday. Therefore, the main race of the event will be held on a Saturday to make sure each team has plenty of time to move to Saudi Arabia, their next destination.
2024 Bahrain GP full schedule
The schedule for the 2024 opening event of the campaign has been officially released. More details about the schedule and timings are briefly given below according to the track time (GMT +3).
Bahrain Grand Prix 2024: Start time UK, schedule, weather forecast and how to watch F1 on TVhttps://t.co/Y4pw3sgFdF pic.twitter.com/7Iw9xTQyK2
— Newzy Sports (@SmilerPrint) February 26, 2024
- PRACTICE-1-14:30-15:30 (29th Feb)
- PRACTICE-2-18:00-19:00 (29th Feb)
- PRACTICE 3-15:30-16:30 (1st March)
- QUALIFYING-19:00-20:00 (1st March)
- RACE: 18:00 (2nd March)
Aside from the shift in the main race day, the event will be held in the traditional way, at night under the moonlight.
Who do you think will most likely be the opening event of the 2024 campaign? Let us know about your opinions in the comment section below.
