How does an F1 weekend work?

Three days: practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday to set the grid, and the Grand Prix on Sunday.

A normal weekend

Friday has two one-hour practice sessions and Saturday a third, where teams test set-ups and tyres. Saturday ends with Qualifying, which decides the starting order. Sunday is the race: about 305 km, which is 50 to 78 laps depending on the track.

A sprint weekend

Six weekends a year swap two practice sessions for a Sprint. Friday has one practice and Sprint Qualifying; Saturday has the 100 km Sprint and then normal qualifying for Sunday.

How long the race lasts

Most races take about 90 minutes. The racing itself may not run longer than two hours, and with a Red flag stoppage the whole race must end within three hours.

Do practice times matter?

No points are given. Practice is for set-up, but it is a good hint of who is fast.

Why is Monaco shorter?

It is the one exception to the 305 km rule: the streets are so slow that the race is about 260 km.