Free Practice (FP1-FP3)

A standard race weekend runs three free practice sessions. FP1, on Friday morning, is largely a systems check: new parts get bedded in, sensors are validated, and drivers take their first laps of the weekend on that circuit.

FP2 is where the weekend starts to show its hand. Teams typically run a low-fuel qualifying simulation and a longer run on heavier fuel that mimics a race stint, so the FP2 long run is the closest thing to a public preview of Sunday's pace.

FP3, on Saturday morning, is short and narrowly focused: last setup tweaks and a final check of tyres and balance before qualifying, with little time left for anything resembling a race simulation.

Because FP2 is the only session built around race-like fuel loads and stint lengths, it's the one worth watching if you want a sense of who might actually be fast on race day, not just over one lap.