F1 fans looking forward to the start of the 2024 season will have one day less to wait than usual.
The first race of the 2024 season begins on Saturday night at the Bahrain International Circuit with the opening of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The race is scheduled to start Saturday night at 6pm local time. This is a change from F1’s standard Sunday race day.
Additionally, the second round of the season, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, is scheduled for Saturday night and is scheduled to start from the Jeddah Corniche circuit at 8pm local time.
Why are the first two races held on a Saturday? We are now in the month of Ramadan. As the holy month of fasting begins at sunset on Sunday March 10, F1 has decided to move the Saudi Grand Prix forward to Saturday to avoid conflict with the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. .
However, moving the second race of the season to Saturday affected the first race of the season. Under FIA regulations, there must be a week between races, so if the Bahrain Grand Prix were to be held as the season opener on Sunday, it would be in conflict with that regulation.
Interestingly, not only are Saturday races becoming more common in F1, but starting the season on a Saturday is in some ways a nod to F1’s history. His 1950 Formula 1 season, which was his fourth season in Formula 1 racing, saw the first FIA World Drivers’ Championship held, beginning with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 13 May.
The race, won by Alfa Romeo’s Giuseppe Farina, took place on Saturday.
