How long is an F1 race? Laps, time, distance and more explained

Formula 1 fans will notice that every grand prix lasts both a different number of laps and length of time, which makes it unlike some other motor racing categories in the world.

This is because the series runs to a specific distance rather than amount of time – like the Le Mans 24 Hours, 12 Hours of Sebring and more – due to the various circuits its calendar holds. This is to ensure every race is roughly the same length, because 70 laps around Silverstone could take double that of 70 laps in Montreal.

So instead of a clock in the corner of the live feed, it is a lap count to tell fans how close the race is to finishing.

Many different factors therefore contribute to how long an F1 grand prix is as some have taken close to five hours to finish while others are done within 60 minutes. So here is everything to know about the rules around race length, controversy that has happened over the years and more.

F1 race weekend format

Before knowing about how long an F1 grand prix is, it is important to first be clear about the weekend’s format and what comes before the race.

For a traditional weekend the series starts with two, one-hour practice sessions on a Friday. It gives teams a good chance to run different car set-ups, complete testing programmes, try out upgrades and if it is a new track – like Las Vegas in 2023 – then Friday is an opportunity to learn more about the circuit.

There is then a third and final practice session on Saturday and that is an opportunity for teams to start testing their one-lap pace ahead of qualifying later in the day, which determines the grid for Sunday’s grand prix.

However, 2021 saw the introduction of a sprint race. This happens on select weekends in the year and over 2023 there were six: Austin, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil and Qatar. This was brought in as an alternative to the traditional weekend, as there is racing on Saturday and Sunday.

So on a 2023 sprint weekend, a practice sessions begins things on Friday but that is the only practice session of the weekend. What follows on Friday is qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix, with sprint qualifying and then the sprint race on Saturday.

How many laps are…