The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious events in world sport but the Formula 1 race will look a little different this year.
F1 is steeped in history, tradition and quirks, one of them being the timing of the Monaco Grand Prix.
A traditional F1 race weekend begins on Friday with practice, continues into Saturday with final practice and qualifying, then the race takes place on Sunday.
However, the Monaco Grand Prix has been unique in the sense that the first day is usually Thursday, with a break on Friday, and the remaining action on Saturday and Sunday – until now.
RadioTimes.com brings you up to speed with the logic behind the Monaco Grand Prix starting on Friday, as opposed to Thursday.
Why is Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix not on Thursday?
The Monaco Grand Prix was originally held on the weekend of Ascension Day – a bank holiday in the province.
For this reason, racing was paused on the Friday to observe the day and for regular traffic to flow through Monte Carlo.
Large swathes of the circuit are opened and public traffic flows through Monaco as usual, without major disruption.
The day itself has become less significant to locals but the Friday break has remained a tradition to allow businesses and hotels to replenish stock and operate at maximum capacity over the hectic four-day spell.
In 2022, the Thursday will be scrapped and action will run from Friday to Sunday. The reason given is to make the race weekend more compact in a sprawling 22-race season.
There would have been 23 races until the Russian Grand Prix was cancelled, and F1 were determined not to overload teams and drivers with a short turnaround between the Spanish Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix.
It may seem like a small change, but every day counts to teams and drivers and freeing up the Thursday gives a little extra breathing space.
When is the Monaco Grand Prix on TV?
The Monaco Grand Prix will air live on Sky Sports F1 from 2pm on Sunday 29th May 2022.
All races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event throughout the season.
Sky customers can add individual channels for just £18 per month or add the complete sports package to their deal for just £25 per month.
There will also be free-to-air highlights of the race on Channel 4 from 6:30pm on Sunday.
If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub.
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