P1racenews AI automatic summary:
For the first time in years, the F1 season kicks off not on the usual Sunday, but on a Saturday. Why is that? Click here to find out.
The 2024 Formula 1 season starts with two races on Saturdays, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix, due to the start of Ramadan on Sunday. The Saudi Arabian race was brought forward one day to be held on Saturday night to accommodate for Ramadan. F1 rules stipulate that there must be at least a week between two races, so the Bahrain season opener was moved one day earlier as well. The entire schedule has been brought forward by a day, with free practice sessions on Thursday and qualifying sessions on Friday. The Las Vegas Grand Prix on 24 November is also scheduled on a Saturday due to the significant time difference with Europe. Racing on days other than Sunday is not common in F1, with just 75 races held on different days in the history of the sport.
