General Principles & Provisions - Competition Duration

In Simple Terms

An F1 competition officially starts 4 hours before the first practice session begins and ends when teams can no longer file protests or request technical inspections. This means the competition window extends beyond the actual race to allow for post-race reviews and challenges.

• Competition begins 4 hours before FP1 (First Practice) starts
• Competition ends at the later of: protest deadline or technical/sporting certification deadline
• This creates a defined window for all competition-related activities and challenges
• Teams have a set period after the race to lodge formal protests or request technical verification