F1 confirms races will begin on the hour as 2021 start times announced

Formula 1 has confirmed the start times for 22 races of its record-breaking 23-round 2021 season.

As expected, F1 has reverted to starting races on the hour this year, with the majority of the European-based rounds starting at 3pm local time (1pm GMT).

Since 2018, races had begun at 10 minutes past the hour in a move that was carried out in order to allow broadcasters to start their coverage on the hour with 10 minutes of introduction.

F1 has now reversed that change after gaining approval from the teams.

The season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on 28 March will start at 6pm local time (3pm GMT), followed by a 3pm local start for the second round of the season at Imola.

F1 is yet to announce which venue will state the third race of the season, but it is understood that Portugal’s Algarve circuit will host its second grand prix after standing in on the re-written 2020 calendar.

All other races are set to start 10 minutes earlier than they did last season.

The returning Azerbaijan Grand Prix will start at 4pm local time (12pm GMT), while the Canadian Grand Prix will start at 2pm (6pm GMT), with both rounds set to hold their first races since 2019. July's British Grand Prix at Silverstone will begin at 2pm.

F1’s inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - which will be staged as a night race around the streets of Jeddah - has been given a 7pm local time start.

You can see the full start time information for the 2021 F1 season below.