Free Practice
FP1 · FP2 · FP3
Before a single point is scored, teams spend 3 hours collecting data, testing setups and preparing for qualifying. Here's exactly what's going on.
The Practice Schedule
The very first session of the race weekend. Teams and drivers get their first proper look at the track in current conditions.
What Teams Are Doing
- Drivers complete installation laps to check the car works
- Teams gather baseline data on tyre performance and car balance
- Rookie drivers sometimes replace a regular driver (FIA rule)
- Engineers analyse aerodynamic performance vs simulations
- Setup experiments begin — ride height, wing angles, suspension
Beginner Tip
FP1 times mean almost nothing for race pace. Teams are running experiments, not going flat out. Don't read too much into lap times here!
Fun fact: Each team must give at least 2 FP1 sessions per season to a rookie driver who hasn't started more than 2 F1 races.
Sprint Weekends Are Different!
On 6 sprint weekends per season, the schedule is completely different. There is only 1 practice session (FP1) on Friday, followed by Sprint Qualifying. FP2 and FP3 do not exist. The sprint race replaces what would have been practice time.
Learn about Sprint Weekends →👀 What to Watch For as a Beginner
Long run pace in FP2
Teams doing 15+ lap stints. Consistent times = race-ready. Fading times = tyre problem.
Tyre compound choice
Which teams are testing which compounds? The fastest teams might hide their real pace.
Red flags
A crash stops the session. Teams lose valuable data time — a big disadvantage.
Sector times
Green = personal best, purple = fastest of anyone. Even in practice, this tells you who's quick.