Extra time will be granted to Formula 1 teams to prepare their cars for the opening practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix, as a result of freight delays. Several teams have been affected by the transportation issues, with Haas' Guenther Steiner explaining that his mechanics are unable to start preparing their cars for first practice due to missing components and toolboxes. As touched on by Steiner, curfew and scrutineering regulations have been adjusted for the event, with stewards confirming the specifics in a note to all competitors.
Extra time to prepare the cars
"In accordance with Art 25.2 of the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, the stewards hereby give a waiver to all competitors in the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix from the time limit in Art 25.1 and require that each competitor be required to carry out initial scrutineering of his cars and submit the duly completed declaration no later than three hours before the start of P1," read a note from the stewards. Article 25.1 of the Sporting Regulations explains that "each competitor will be required to carry out initial scrutineering of his cars and submit the duly completed declaration no later than 18 hours before the start of P1 (Free Practice 1), with Article 25.2 adding that "unless a waiver is granted by the stewards, competitors who do not keep to these time limits will not be allowed to take part in the event."
Sprint format changes
Brazil is playing host to the third and final 'Sprint' weekend in 2021. As such, opening practice will begin at 12:30 local time on Friday, followed by qualifying at 16:00. Second practice will take place at midday on Saturday, before the 30-minute (24-lap) Sprint Qualifying race (16:30), which sets the grid for the main Grand Prix. The Grand Prix itself is scheduled to run over 71 laps from 14:00 on Sunday.
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