Formula One has revealed a revised weekend schedule for the 2018 season.
All of the 21 Grands Prix on this year’s calendar will begin at ten-past the hour, instead of on the hour. The move is to help broadcasters in areas such as America where coverage begins on the hour. F1 bosses say the move will aid such broadcasters to convey the ‘the tension and emotion that characterise the minutes before the start of each Grand Prix’.
Furthermore, in a move to help boost TV audience figures, every European and Brazilian race on the calendar will start an hour later than in 2017. On these weekends, the entire weekend schedule will be pushed back by an hour, meaning that Qualifying will also start an hour later than previously scheduled. The French Grand Prix has also been pushed back further in the afternoon in order to avoid a clash with the FIFA World Cup.
The news follows Formula One’s decision to drop grid girls for the 2018 season.
