By Estado Content
Posted on 04/13/2021 11:28 AM
The funeral of Prince Philip of the United Kingdom, who died at the age of 99 last Friday (9), will affect Formula 1 this weekend. To avoid conflict with the event in London, the category decided to change the training schedule of Emilia-Romagna GP, the second phase of the 2021 season scheduled for the Imola circuit.
The main qualification is in the official qualification training schedule, which will be 9 am (Brasilia time), one hour ahead of schedule. The reason for this is that the Duke of Edinburgh’s body procession is expected to take place from 10:40 am, when the grid’s definition for Emilia-Romagna GP will be in its defining moments in the original schedule.
As, according to Formula 1 rules, official qualification training could only take place for the third and last free practice session with a space of two hours, it was also brought forward from 7 am to 6 am.
The changes on Saturday had a ripple effect on Friday, the first day of track activities for GPs, as the regulation provides that a third free practice should begin with a minimum space of 19 hours for the second season. Thus, the first two free practice sessions were brought forward for 30 minutes and now begin at 6 pm (TL1) and 9:30 pm (TL4).
Before official qualification training begins on Saturday, Formula 1 will set a one-minute silence period in honor of Prince Philip. Interestingly, the category was also in Italy at the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997. The race schedule remains unchanged on Sunday (18): the start will be at 10 am.
