The FIA along with Liberty Media are planning to alter the format of the European Formula 1 race weekend ahead of what will in all likelihood be the longest F1 season in history with the calendar currently scheduled to take place.
The most significant change being touted is the elimination of media days on Thursday, with press conferences now taking place on Friday. The other change is the return of the 90-minute free practice session, which, despite negative feedback, will replace the 60-minute session seen in 2021.
Due to the large lulls in running as teams look to save their tyres, the 90-minute sessions have been met with disdain. It is believed that the promoters of all 23 races were in favor of holding a sprint race, though the sprint race format appears to be in jeopardy due to a financial disagreement among the teams.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown stated in a letter that the teams are at odds over the possibility of holding more sprint races, claiming that the current cost cap of $140 million should be raised to accommodate the additional races.
For the time being, the 2022 season will feature six Sprint Races, with the extra race taking place in Bahrain, Imola, Montreal, Austria, Holland, and Brazil.
The complete weekend schedule for the European rounds, including times, can be found below.
New European F1 Schedule
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | ||
| 9.00: Media and Technical checks | 9.00-10.30: Fan Engagement | 13.30: Driver Parade | ||
| 13.00-14.30: FP1 | 12.00-13.00: FP3 | 15.00 Main Race | ||
| 15.00-16.00: Team Principal Press Session | 15.00-16.00: Qualifying | |||
| 17.00-18.30: FP2 |
