Formula 1: why is the Bahrain Grand Prix taking place on Saturday? Race schedule explained

This weekend is the long-awaited return of Formula 1 with the Bahrain Grand Prix ready to kick off what will be the biggest season to date. 24 races will take place in 2024 with the Chinese Grand Prix making a comeback but the 20 drivers are currently in practice and qualifying sessions ahead of the return of racing this Saturday.

The start of the Formula 1 season has not been without its drama, however. Lewis Hamilton announced that at the end of the year he would be leaving Mercedes - a side he has been with for 11 years - to join arch rivals Ferrari. He will be taking Carlos Sainz's spot come February 2025 with the Spaniard out of contract at the end of this year.

Christian Horner was then accused of 'inappropriate behaviour' with a female colleague. Red Bull and its parent company have now conducted an investigation with the Red Bull team principal being cleared of any allegations.

Now, it is time for the attention to turn to the track and while the race is usually held on a Sunday, the start of the 2024 season will begin 24 hours earlier. Here is all you need to know about the schedule for the Bahrain Grand Prix...

Why is the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday?

The Bahrain Grand Prix will be held on Saturday 2 March, with the race commencing at 3pm, and the day change is because the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins this year on Sunday 10 March.

The second race of the year will take place in Saudi Arabia and while it was scheduled to be held on Sunday 10 March, the start of Ramadan has meant the whole race weekend has been brought forward by 24 hours in order for the country to be able to celebrate the start of the holy month.

FIA rules dictate that there must be a full seven days between Grands Prix and therefore the opening round in Bahrain the week before has taken on the revised schedule too. The Holy Month, which follows the Lunar calendar, will then likely end on 9 April with Eid al-Fitr being celebrated on 10 April.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix will also be held on a Saturday in order to be more in tune with UK viewing times. The third American race of the year will take place on Saturday 23 November with the start-time set for 6am GMT in order for it to be more accessible for viewers around the world.

When is the Bahrain Grand Prix?

The race weekend has commenced with the first practice session taking place at 11am this morning (Thursday 29 February). Second practice will then take place at 2.30pm later today. Here is the rest of the schedule:

Friday 1 March:

• 12.30pm: Third practice session
• 4pm: Qualifying

Saturday 2 March:

• 3pm: RACE

The race will be shown on Sky Sports with their dedicated Formula 1 channel showing all the action from Bahrain, including all three practice sessions and qualifying. Go to NationalWorld's article on the 2024 Formula 1 Schedule to find out the timings of all races this season.