F1 Explained: How does practice work?

The standard Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend spans three days, with practice kicking off the action.

On Friday, as the exciting race weekend kicks off, there are two one-hour practice sessions held throughout the day - Free Practice 1 (FP1) and Free Practice 2 (FP2).

These sessions provide teams and drivers with the opportunity to become familiar with the track, fine-tune their car setups, evaluate tyre performance, and gather crucial data to enhance their performance.

The following day, the action continues with the final practice run, FP3, which marks the beginning of Saturday's activities. This session offers teams and drivers a final chance to perfect their setups and make any last-minute adjustments before the crucial qualifying session later in the day, which sets the grid order for Sunday's race.

READ MORE: F1 Explained: A beginner's guide to all the key terms and definitions

Why practice is important in F1?

As mentioned earlier, the practice allows teams to refine their car setups and ensure everything is optimised before parc ferme conditions begin, which marks the point when most work on the car is prohibited.

It is especially crucial for new races on the calendar, like the 2023 Las Vegas GP, or races returning after a hiatus where there's no recent data to draw from.

Take China, for example. After a five-year absence due to COVID-19 pandemic, the passage of time and regulation changes turned the Shanghai International Circuit into a new track for this generation of F1 machinery.

Every practice session was now paramount for teams to gather crucial data and understand how their cars would react to the unique demands of the resurfaced tarmac and the track's characteristics.

However, the pressure was further amplified by China's status as the first Sprint race of the season. The new Sprint format introduced for the 2024 season onwards featured a condensed schedule with only one free practice session before qualifying for the short Sprint race. This limited window reduced the time teams had to experiment with configurations and find the sweet spot for their cars.

Despite Lance Stroll's surprising lead in the solitary practice session and Lando Norris snatching pole for the Sprint, the weekend ultimately belonged to Max Verstappen. The reigning champion dominated the Sprint race, secured pole position for the main Grand Prix, and converted that advantage into a resounding victory.

READ MORE: F1 Explained: What is a pit stop and how does it work?

Practice in Sprint weekends

Previously, Sprint weekends used to begin with FP1 on Friday morning, followed by qualifying later in the day to determine the Sprint race grid.

Saturday then started with another practice session (FP2) before the Sprint, which used to set the starting order for the main Grand Prix on Sunday.

Now, F1 tweaked the format for 2024 onwards, with Sprint qualifying moving to Friday following the only free practice session of the weekend.

The Sprint remains on Saturday, but it's now preceded by traditional qualifying that sets the starting order for Sunday's race.

Although the Sprint became its own confined event, points gained still count towards the overall standings.

READ MORE: F1 sprint races: How do they work and what are the changes for 2024?

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