Towards a complete reorganization of GP weekends in 2021?
The 2021 season could see a revamp of Grand Prix weekends with the elimination of the Thursday session and a new organization of free practice.
In its reflection to improve the functioning of Formula 1 by 2021, Liberty Media and the teams could consider eliminating Thursday, which is mainly dedicated to media and FIA technical inspections, and reorganizing Friday’s practice sessions.
The elimination of Thursday would allow teams to lighten their weekends by arriving a day later than usual and also promote the addition of new Grand Prix to the calendar.
The removal of Thursday, however, would not lead to the cancellation of a practice session. FP1 would take place between 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM during weekends held in Europe. FP2 would be from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM.
The other novelty, and it’s a significant one, is the change made at the Parc Fermé level. Indeed, it would take effect from the second free practice session, whereas in recent years it was applied during qualifying. Teams could however test new parts during the three practice sessions, but these can only be used for the following Grand Prix.
As a reminder, when the cars are under Parc Fermé conditions, teams can no longer modify the settings except for minor interventions like oil changes or adjustments on the front wing, for example.
