Why does the 2024 F1 calendar have three races that would be held on a Saturday?

Ever since F1 was created as a racing series, most Grand Prix have taken place on Sundays. However, this tradiition will change for the 2024 calendar (2023 Las Vegas GP took place on Saturday).

In the upcoming 2024 season, the Sunday Grand Prixs events will be defied on three occasions. Spectators will enjoy Saturday races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, at the start of the season and another one in Las Vegas towards the end of the F1 year.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GP will be held on a Saturday because of the holy month of Ramadan, which will begin after sunset on January 9, 2024, the day of the Saudi Arabian GP.

On the other hand, the Las Vegas GP has already seen a Saturday race in 2023 and will follow a similar schedule in 2024 as well. Since the race is being held in the US and is late at night, it is being held on a Saturday simply due to time zone issues.

F1 is a global spectacle and is watched by millions of fans from all around the planet. Hence, the timing of the race had to be adjusted in order to be suitable for most of the fans. For the majority of viewers in the US and Europe, Saturday night will be the ideal time to watch the race.

Renee Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas GP, explained (via RacingNews365):

"We have found a solution so that European fans can watch the race with a cup of coffee at six or seven in the morning, just like it happens in the U.S. during the European races."

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Red Bull team boss gave his views on the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP

After several decades, Las Vegas was reintroduced on the F1 calendar in a whole new way in 2023. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner praised the circuit's overall pace and how it allowed great overtaking opportunities for the drivers as well. While speaking to former F1 world champion Jenson Button on Sky Sports, he said:

“I think it’s right up there. I mean, it’s long and fast straights so big slipstreams, big braking zones, you can see down that last straight, some dive bombing that was going on there. I think the layout of the circuit has actually delivered and, you know, the surface being super slippy as well, you saw the drivers really working today.”

While the Las Vegas street circuit has a three-year contract, F1 plans to keep the track on the calendar for at least 10 years and beyond, as per reports.