Formula 1 chiefs have confirmed that race weekends will be reduced to three-day events from 2021 as part of a trade-off to increase the calendar to up to 25 rounds.
Formula 1 currently features track action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – with Thursday ‘replacing’ Friday in Monaco – but off-track activities take place on Thursday.
Thursday events at race weekends include media activities, fan sessions and scrutineering.
From 2021 the weekend format will be compressed from four into three days but F1 chief Ross Brawn confirmed that there will be “close to the same amount of track time” as now.
Formula 1’s calendar will grow to 22 rounds in 2020 while plans are afoot to introduce an event in Miami from 2021, with the championship still seeking new races.
Senior officials have been involved in negotiations for a second event in China while Saudi Arabia has signalled its desire to join the calendar.
In another change cars must be scrutineered on Friday morning, prior to the opening practice session, and that will be the specification of car used for the remainder of the weekend.
Formula 1 teams will still be permitted to bring updates for assessment but the new relevant component will only be allowed to be used from the following round.
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