Some 2018 F1 Races Will Start An Hour And 10 Minutes Later To Attract More Viewers

For years now, the start time of F1 races on the European leg of the season has been at the same time - 14:00. However, this season F1’s owner, Liberty Media, has decided to shake things up a bit and push the session times back by more than an hour.

This is being done in an attempt to boost the TV viewing figures, a number which has been steadily dropping since 2010. The only European race not getting put back by an hour is the French Grand Prix - that’s being put back by two hours to avoid a clash with the England-Panama World Cup game.

On top of that, every race this season will start at 10 minutes past the hour. This is to accommodate broadcasters - mainly in North America - who go on air at the top of every hour without showing any pre-race build-up. Making the start time that little bit later makes it easier for them to fill a broadcast slot without having to risk missing the start (which sadly can sometimes be the best part of the race!).

All this means that the majority of European races will now start at 15:10 rather than 14:00. It’s not just the races that are affected either, as the qualifying and practice sessions are also getting pushed back.

A statement from Formula 1 read:

“Some broadcasters usually go on air precisely on the hour, hence missing the tension and emotion that characterise the minutes before the start of each grand prix. Thanks to this change, television viewers will be brought closer to the teams and the drivers and fully enjoy the spectacle offered just before the red lights go out.

“Other minor adjustments have been made in order to avoid clashes with other major sports events like the FIFA World Cup, to allow for differing sunset times, and to attract a wider attendance to promoters’ events.”

As changes go it’s not a massive one, and if it gets more people watching the sport then it’s surely going to be a good thing. But for long-time F1 fans having to wait an hour longer on a Sunday to get their fix could take some getting used to!