What States Have Bars Open Till 4Am

Senate Bill 384 would have California follow the lead of other states that have allowed cities and counties more authority to set rules on closing times. The bill would establish a process by which the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control would allow certain bars, restaurants and nightclubs to sell alcohol between 2 a.m. — if, and only if, the local government wants to allow extended hours. In Israel, there are no specific closing times and the country has liberal alcohol laws.

I've been in the restaurant and bar industry in Philadelphia for over 25 years. Not many people are still at the bar when it closes at 2 a.m., and the staff is ready to go home. Are young and only want to be out for a three-hour window, taking them to about 1 a.m. Pushing closing time back would not increase business but just push it later into the night. For that, we should have just some establishments with 4 AM "C" licenses — because sometimes, especially after the year we've had, everyone needs to dance until dawn.

"We feel that the curfew was unscientific and unnecessary from its beginning. From when indoor dining was reopened in June we were able to operate safely at 50 percent occupancy until 4 a.m. The added hours allowed us to serve more customers in a safe environment.

Curfew in November found us turning away guests as the same patrons had to be squeezed into a day that was six hours shorter. The latest order by the governor that allows pool halls, bowling alleys and casinos to operate without a curfew is just another blow to our industry that has proven we can operate safely. I would love an explanation on the science and facts behind this decision. We are constantly checked by the State Liquor Authority multiple times per week with no issue. It's time to lift this curfew and let us operate responsibly as we have proven we can do," said Mike McElwee, Bay Shore Restaurant Committee.

Currently, indoor dining, including bars has a 10 p.m. Berman said having the extension ready and waiting for businesses is important to help them financially recover from the pandemic because there's a market for late night alcohol sales. Established in 2018, Well Street Market food hall recently announced its permanent closure after a final service on Friday, September 18. The dining hall houses a handful of restaurants and bars including Fry The Coop, Tempesta Market, Firecakes and Grand Central Bar. To close out its final week, Wells Street Market has customer appreciation offerings on the menu.

Stop by Grand Central Bar for drink specials and wholesale deals on all unopened bottles of liquor and spirits every day from noon until 7 p.m. On Friday, Fry The Coop will offer all patrons a free meal including a sandwich, fries and a drink. Few establishments in Lenawee County said that it would make a difference for their business. Most bars and restaurants in the county before the pandemic would close well before the 2 a.m. Closing time, with the few who spoke to the Daily Telegram that stay open late on weekends, not being interested at this time. Those who are against the bill are concerned about other potential impacts on the community.

Rather than providing a new stream of income, they are concerned about the costs related to law enforcement, emergency responders, court expenses when arrests result, domestic violence rates, drugged driving accidents, and more. History tells us that when there aremore liquor stores in the neighborhood, there is generally more crime. When there are more bars, there arehigher rates of domestic violence. The hits keep coming, even in Chicago's most popular neighborhoods.

The city that never sleeps is back to its insomniac ways. As of Memorial Day, the midnight curfew for indoor service at bars and restaurants has been lifted, meaning that patrons can be served until 4 a.m. — a significant boost for bars which bring in much of their revenue in the early morning hours on weekends. California is close to passing a new state law that will shake up the time-table for serving and drinking alcohol at restaurants, bars, hotels and nightclubs.

It will establish, if passed by the State Assembly and signed by the governor, a pilot program allowing Los Angeles, and six other cities, to serve into the predawn light by extending "Last Call For Alcohol" from 2 am to 4 am. If it works in the pilot seven cities it could be extended state-wide. If it works in California, other states may follow. It's time to give local governments more control over when, where and how alcohol is served. A city like Los Angeles, for instance, shouldn't have to shut down its bars early each night in deference to a fusty, 80-year-old law.

State representative Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) last month introduced legislation allowing Pennsylvania bars, restaurants, and other nightlife establishments to extend last call from 2 a.m. To 4 a.m., with hopes of reinvigorating the state's hospitality sector after the bruising pandemic. Meanwhile, City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas introduced a resolution urging Harrisburg to extend hours for bars and also increase the number of happy hours a business can operate. The state doesn't have a set bar closing time, but the latest most counties allow sales is 2 a.m. In Chicago, bars with late night licenses can sell until 4 a.m. "Governor Cuomo's 'revoked' emergency powers remain extraordinarily real and profoundly harmful to our bars, restaurants and hospitality businesses, which continue to struggle under his senseless mandates.

Curfew is one of the most glaring examples of an unjustifiable, unscientific edict. These curfews are disappearing in neighboring states and New York needs to follow suit immediately," said Senator George Borrello. Some point out that in larger cities, parties at bars and clubs tend to extend well beyond 4 a.m. Already, even without the sale of alcohol, and suggest that perhaps keeping the bar open would decrease the market for illicit substances after 2 a.m. Others are hoping for increased revenue that would boost the local economy. The hope is that higher alcohol sales will translate into more alcohol taxes to be used for public benefit and that higher sales for the restaurants and bars will mean more money spent in the community.

The most important consideration in the journey of SB 905 to law is that its aim isn't necessarily to extend drinking hours statewide but instead recognizes each city's individuality. SB 905 gives the seven pilot cities complete autonomy to set conditions not only on the provision of alcohol but geographically. As these cities, and others in the state of California have gentrified, streets and/or areas have become hubs for daytime commerce and late night social activities. SB 905 would allow each city to extend drinking hours to 4 am per street or area in ways that best suit the late night atmosphere and vibe of their city. As the appropriate time to stop pouring libations.

So did Colorado, Iowa, Texas and about two dozen other states. Indiana, Tennessee and West Virginia picked 3 a.m., while Alaska, Illinois and New York settled on 4 a.m. Several states, including Nevada and New Jersey, have no state limits at all on when alcohol can be sold. Many states also give cities and counties the flexibility to set their own local rules on alcohol sales.

That's why New Orleans bars can stay open 24 hours a day, while bars in nearby Baton Rouge have to close at 2 a.m. Pennsylvania already has a class of liquor licenses that permit staying open to 3 am. However, these "C" liquor licenses are only issued to non-profit private clubs, where access is restricted to members. Also, ownership of these "after-hours" licenses by for-profit businesses will allow for greater capital investment and stability to create a safer and more entertaining atmosphere for all. A New York State Supreme Court judge has granted a temporary win for 94 bars and restaurants — most of which are in Western New York, in the Buffalo, N.Y.

Area — that sued the state over Gov. Andrew Cuomo's COVID-19-mandated 11 p.m. Curfew for New York foodservice establishments. Acting Supreme Court Judge Timothy Walker granted a preliminary injunction to the businesses involved in a ruling Saturday night, allowing them to stay open until 4 a.m.

The Majority has so far not allowed the resolution to the floor for a vote, despite indicating support for doing so on the floor of the Senate on March 5th. "Our small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy and the heart and soul of our communities, have suffered greatly during this pandemic. While it is a positive step forward that the nonsensical curfews for most businesses have been lifted, the Governor's edict that curfews at restaurants and bars be maintained defies logic. These businesses are major employers in our communities and often the driving force to bring people to our business districts.

Bars and restaurants have proven they can operate safely following the most up to date safety guidelines—it is long past time we give them the flexibility to operate at the hours they wish to operate," said Senator Alexis Weik. House Bill 674 aims to revise liquor laws in the state of Ohio, including allowing bars and restaurants to remain open later and extending the sale of spirituous liquor to Sunday, among other revisions. Changing closing times would require a change to state law. Last September, Gov. Jared Polis hinted he would support legislation to extend bar hours as part of a package to help bars and taverns recover from the Coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers voted to approve House Bill 4213, which would let bars and restaurants with on-premises liquor licenses stay open until 4 a.m. If their local government body votes to allow late-night liquor sales.

Lawmakers in the House voted on House Bill 4115, which would give local governments the option to let bars in their communities serve alcohol between 2 a.m. Currently, businesses with on-premises liquor licenses have to stop doing so at 2 a.m. In New South Wales, there is no specified closing time, but in residential areas, bars are often required to close at midnight. In non-residential areas, some bars are open 24 hours. However, a six-hour daily closure period applies to new licenses granted from 30 October 2008, which is nominated depending on individual and community circumstances. Retail sales of beer and wine have the same hours restrictions.

Liquor stores close at 9pm Monday-Saturday, and are not open on Sundays. 11 counties are completely dry, and in many counties, public intoxication laws are "vigorously enforced". "During the pandemic, we have seen the adverse impact limiting hours of operation has had on our businesses and the local jobs they support," Battle said. "I hope any change to existing laws will include the voices of our industry partners in Louisville's vital restaurant and bar community." The state has received a C-minus grade from the White House with regards to its infrastructure. All Pennsylvania residents who are 16 years and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as of today.

A state lawmaker believes allowing for bars and restaurants to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. Would help them regain the revenue they've lost during the pandemic. And a Phillies fan went viral on social media after he gave a home run ball to a Braves fan. Some business owners join lawyers at HoganWillig Friday.The law firm says the establishments can stay open to their regular closing hours.

That means if they are normally open until 4 a.m., they can remain open until that time under this order. All other state mandated restrictions, such as a limit of 10 people per table and at least six-feet between tables, remain in place and are not affected by this ruling. Legislative Republicans have been leading the charge to repeal the Governor's emergency powers since last May. On March 5th, the Majorities put forward a Democrat-negotiated bill with the Governor's office that was supposedly intended to remove the Governor's emergency powers. "We need to lift the curfew on bars and restaurants, just as the state has done for other businesses. Our bars and restaurants should not have to wait until late April to fully open.

With Easter around the corner and the nice weather here, people are starting to go out more. They are beginning to travel, and they want to support our local bars and restaurants. Let's lift these onerous restrictions and let them do their work," said Senator Pam Helming. A bridge phase is a set of rules designed to ease individuals and businesses out of Restore Illinois Phase 4's more restrictive pandemic regulations without removing guidelines entirely.

For restaurants and bars, this in-between stage means an increase to 75 percent capacity with at least six feet of space between tables, according to city guidelines. Some bars possess grandfathered licenses obtained before the current last call was instituted, allowing them to sell at any time. Liquors may be acquired for off-premises consumption only at state-run liquor stores, which have fewer hours. Is the general closing time in Alabama, 25 of 67 counties in the state are dry with only a few cities that sell alcohol.

Licensed clubs—bars that require a membership—can stay open later, with one Birmingham bar called The Nick keeping drinks flowing until 6 a.m. If you've ever lived in the Lakeview or Lincoln Park areas during your 20s, you absolutely spent at least one night at Schoolyard. The neighborhood bar was a one-stop-shop for college and pro sports and all the revelry that comes with them.

A Facebook post from bar owners encourages neighborhood residents to "please support your local, small businesses as much as you are able to." One of River North's most popular Asian eateries has closed its doors for the last time. Imperial Lamian served noodles, dumplings and other Chinese delicacies for nearly five years at the corner or Hubbard and State streets. The restaurant was well known for its beautiful dining room and colorful dishes.

A Facebook post cited "challenges we faced as a result of the pandemic this year" as the reason for its permanent closure. Imperial Lamian's sister restaurant, Phat Phat Chinese, remains open in Schaumburg. Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood is losing its classic hot dog spot at the end of January. Since 1994, Downtown Dogs has been the perfect place to refuel after a day of shopping on Michigan Avenue or an evening of drinking at nearby Streeter's or Pippin's taverns. The restaurant will be open for service through January 30 and encourages you to stop by for one last dog. Like any other bar, you have to have a great staff, a good-looking room and great music.

It does nobody any good—your customers, your staff—to let someone in who has obviously been overserved already. You're not providing a great environment for people that are coming in. Again, it's not just a bunch of drunks coming in. A lot of times, it's someone's first drink of the night, whether they're industry or third-shift people. There would be lots of hoops to jump through. The local authorities could decide to limit extended hours to certain commercial districts only, say, or to allow them only on weekends.

The department would need to sign off on the plan. Then individual businesses would need to apply for permission from the ABC, which would require notifying law enforcement and residents within 500 feet of the establishment. That's when bars, restaurants, nightclubs and any other businesses licensed for on-site liquor sales are legally bound to stop serving alcohol, and that's when most of those establishments close for the night. "What this bill does, is allow premises alcohol consumption, between the hours of 2-4 a.m.

This allows post-pandemic, once things are returning more than normal, those bars and restaurants, establishments, make up for some of that lost time," Berman said. The bill is being introduced as a way to help the industry recoup some of the losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Michigan Rep. Ryan Berman said extending closing hours for many bars and restaurants will help restaurants make up for lost time after the pandemic. Create a new "W" class liquor license without an upfront cost and only an annual licensing fee.

Small chef-owned and operated restaurants are amazing for diners but not very profitable for owners. Allowing these restaurants to serve only wine and beer provided they close before midnight and do not have bar seating would make them more lucrative, encouraging more chefs to open. Allowing all Philadelphia restaurant liquor licensees to stay open past 2 a.m.

Formula 1 Sprint Race Results Today

Verstappen took the pole position in Abu Dhabi ahead of Hamilton and Norris. During the race, Hamilton had a better start and took the lead into the first turn. At turn six Verstappen attempted to pass, forcing Hamilton to evade by going off the track.

Formula 1 Race Today Results Emerging from the corner still in the lead, Hamilton was instructed to give up the advantage he had gained. The pair settled in their positions until the first round of pit stops, with Hamilton gradually extending his lead. He later lost much of his advantage when Pérez, Verstappen's teammate with Red Bull, and who had yet to make a pit stop, made it difficult for Hamilton to pass him, though Verstappen was unable to capitalise.

Later, a virtual safety car period allowed Verstappen to change his tyres without losing track position; however, despite the tyre advantage Verstappen was unable to challenge Hamilton. With seven laps remaining, the safety car was brought out for a crash involving Latifi. Red Bull used the opportunity to give Verstappen a fresh set of soft tyres, while Hamilton, still on his now-quite-old hard compound tyres, was not pitted. Race director Michael Masi took the decision to allow the five lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to un-lap themselves before restarting the race with only one lap remaining. Upon the restart, Verstappen quickly passed Hamilton and held him off for the remainder of the lap to win the race and the championship. Hamilton was fastest in qualifying in Brazil, but was disqualified the following day for a technical infringement.

Bottas won the qualifying sprint, giving him pole position for the Grand Prix. By finishing second in the sprint, Verstappen increased his championship lead over Hamilton by two points, and Carlos Sainz Jr., who finished third, increased Ferrari's championship lead over McLaren. Hamilton finished fifth in the sprint from last on the grid, but a five-place grid drop due to taking a new engine relegated him to tenth on the grid for the Grand Prix.

On race day, both Verstappen was able to overtake Bottas on the first lap. Meanwhile, Lando Norris and Sainz were involved in a separate incident, with Norris getting a puncture. On lap 48, Hamilton caught up to Verstappen and attempted an overtake, but failed and resulted in both of them going off track. He won the race from Verstappen, decreasing Verstappen's championship lead from 21 points to 14 points. Hamilton took pole position in Qatar, while a penalty for failing to respect double waived yellow flags during qualifying forced Verstappen to start from seventh. Verstappen quickly recovered to second place but was unable to threaten Hamilton's race lead despite setting the fastest lap on the last lap of the race.

Fernando Alonso used a one-stop strategy to finish third, less than three seconds ahead Peréz in fourth, it was Alonso's first podium since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix. Bottas and Nicholas Latifi retired from the race after they and multiple others suffered punctures on track. The result reduced Verstappen's lead in the Driver's Championship to eight points while Mercedes' lead in the Constructor's Championship was reduced to five points. Just as things looked like they were swinging in Mercedes' direction after the Silver Arrows domination both practice sessions and qualifying, it is Verstappen who will start Sunday's Italian GP on pole position after Bottas' grid penalty. The Dutchman also increased his Drivers' Championship lead over Hamilton to five points after picking up two points in the sprint race as well.

In France, Verstappen got his second pole of the season, only to go wide at the first turn and lose the lead to Hamilton in the first lap. After regaining first with an undercut in his first pit stop, Verstappen found himself under heavy pressure from both Mercedes drivers. Verstappen relinquished his lead to pit a second time, one of two drivers to do so, returning to the track 18 seconds behind Hamilton. The speed advantage allowed him to make up the lost time, overtaking Bottas on lap 44 and Hamilton on the penultimate lap, for his third win of the year and his thirteenth win overall.

Hamilton, now 12 points behind in the Drivers' Championship, did secure second, and with an overtake on lap 49, Pérez managed to take third place, pushing Bottas to fourth. It was the first race of the season where the race winner also took pole position and the fastest lap, and the first race of the season with no retirements. Red Bull extended their lead over Mercedes in the Constructors' championship to 37 points after the race. Bottas won sprint qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix, but was forced to start from the back of the grid after exceeding the quota of one on his power units' components.

Verstappen started at the front with the McLarens second and third. A slow stop for Verstappen meant that he ended up alongside Hamilton after the latter made his pitstop. Hamilton and Verstappen collided, ending their races prematurely. Ricciardo led to the end to take his first victory since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix and McLaren's first victory since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. His teammate, Norris, finished behind him to secure the team's first 1–2 finish since the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix and the first 1–2 finish of the season.

And Bottas, after a penalty applied to Pérez, came third from the back of the grid. After the race, Verstappen was judged by the stewards to have been predominantly at fault for the collision with Hamilton. As a result, he was given a 3-place grid-penalty for the next race and two penalty points on his super licence. Valtteri Bottas led every lap of today's sprint race at Monza from pole en route to the win and three points in the championship hunt. However, he incurred a full-grid penalty for an engine adjustment yesterday.

So, he won pole for the qualifying race in Friday qualifying, won provisional pole for Sunday in a sprint race today, and still comes to tomorrow's race ready to start last. Lewis Hamilton was the fastest in qualifying in Turkey, but was dropped down the grid because of a penalty due to a power unit component change. Valtteri Bottas was promoted to pole position and won the race, his first of 2021. He was followed by Max Verstappen, who re-took the championship lead, and Sergio Pérez, who took his first podium since France. Verstappen took pole from Russell and Hamilton in the Belgian Grand Prix in a wet qualifying session.

The race was heavily affected by rain, which initially saw the start delayed by 25 minutes. After two formation laps behind the safety car, the race start was suspended and red-flagged due to poor conditions and lack of visibility. It was not restarted, becoming the shortest race in Formula 1 history and the sixth to award half-points as less than 75% of the race was completed. Verstappen won by default, with Russell in second and Hamilton in third place. As a result, Hamilton's lead in the championship was cut to three points from Verstappen.

For the 2021 season, the schedule of a race weekend was revised. Cars were now under parc fermé conditions following the end of free practice three instead of qualifying, further restricting teams and drivers from making major changes to setups ahead of the race. The length of the two Friday practice sessions were cut from 90 minutes to 60 minutes.

Sprint debuted in 2021 to mixed reaction; it is not just here to stay but will be more prominent this year. After its trio of appearances last year this season it will feature at six of the 23 grands prix. Formula 1 has yet to outline the grands prix at which Sprint will be present but per Ross Brawn's comments during a roundtable session in November it is desired by all event promoters.

The basic framework is set to remain, with qualifying on Friday and Sprint on Saturday, but further matters are still under discussion. It has been suggested that further points are allocated for Sprint, while Sprint itself could be split as a standalone race, with no influence on Sunday's grid. Teams also want greater remuneration for Sprint owing to the increased risk of accident damage – heightened since the budget cap's introduction. Switching the honour of pole position to qualifying, not Sprint's 'winner', is also under consideration.

Formula One is in São Paulo this weekend for the Brazilian Grand Prix and Saturday brings a sprint race to determine the starting order for Sunday's race. Traditional qualifying ran on Friday and set the starting grid for a 100-kilometer sprint race on Saturday. The drivers will run 24 laps to determine the grid for Sunday's race.

Verstappen was required to start from the back at the Russian Grand Prix for exceeding his quota of a number of his power unit components. Norris took his first career pole position, from Sainz , and Russell. The running order changed substantially as heavy rain began to fall in the closing laps. Hamilton took his 100th Formula One victory as well as the championship lead, ahead of Verstappen and Sainz.

Leclerc took pole at the Monaco Grand Prix despite crashing in the final minutes. The crash caused a driveshaft failure, meaning he was unable to start the race. Verstappen started at the front and led from Bottas and Carlos Sainz Jr. On lap 30, Bottas was forced into retirement after his front-right tyre would not come off during a routine pitstop. Verstappen took the victory, as well as the championship lead for the first time in his career; Red Bull came away from this race with a one-point lead in the constructors' championship. Behind Verstappen, Sainz took his first podium for Ferrari, and Norris took his second podium of the season in third place.

I dislike that the two championship leaders now won't start close together and so probably won't end up racing each other tomorrow. I dislike knowing what the race pace of the cars are before the race has even started. I dislike that a great lap in traditional quali counts for less. I dislike that the sprint peaks at the start and the drivers sound really unexcited at the end. For 2021, the FIA implemented a new qualifying system in Formula 1 for three Grands Prix, Silverstone being one of them.

This change stipulates that Free Practice 1 will be run on Friday, as well as qualifying based on Q1, Q2 and Q3. On that day, free practice 2 and a short qualifying, based on a sprint race of no more than 100 kilometers, will determine the final starting grid positions for Sunday's big race. Verstappen will start from pole position after winning the sprint qualifying race on Saturday. Max Verstappen would love to spoil the homecoming and will start from pole position after winning the first ever F1 sprint qualifying race on Saturday.

Formula One has confirmed it will trial sprint qualifying races on Saturdays at three grand prix weekends in 2021 in the latest shake-up of the sport's format. This Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza marks the second of three experimental sprint race weekends for Formula 1, so you would expect the winner of today's sprint qualifying race to start from pole tomorrow. Elsewhere outside the big two, Fernando Alonso's podium finish, the changing team line-ups for next year and even the additions of rules such as sprint qualifying have all been big talking points in Formula One recently. The second of the back-to-back races at the Red Bull Ring saw Verstappen pick up where he left off, delighting the Austrian crowd with pole position and then leading every lap of his team's home grand prix.

A huge number of Dutch fans also mad there way to Austria to watch their hero dominate proceedings. Hamilton earned the 100th pole position of his career in Barcelona, but duly gave up first position on the first corner of the grand prix, having no option but to sacrifice the spot to an aggressive move by Max Verstappen. The finishing order of sprint qualifying will also determine the starting grid for Sunday's Grand Prix, with pole position awarded to the driver who finishes first. Verstappen continued his momentum in the United States Grand Prix, taking pole position. Despite Hamilton taking the lead in turn 1, Verstappen was able to win the race with Hamilton in second place, in front of Pérez.

The result increased Verstappen's lead to 12 points as Hamilton collected an extra Championship point by setting the fastest lap. Leclerc took pole again in Azerbaijan, this time he was able to start the race. Hamilton was held up in his pitstop to allow Gasly to pass him in the pitlane, handing Verstappen the net race lead.

On lap 30, Lance Stroll crashed out due to a tyre failure and brought out the safety car. With Verstappen comfortably leading with six laps to go, he suffered a tyre failure, causing him to crash on the pit straight, bringing out the safety car and then the red flag on lap 46 and 48, respectively. Hamilton went up the inside of Pérez at the restart, but forgot to adjust his brake bias and missed the corner. Pérez won for the second time in his career and took his first win for Red Bull.

Sebastian Vettel took Aston Martin's first podium in Formula One, while Gasly took his third career podium. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Hamilton took pole from Pérez and Verstappen. Verstappen went into the lead at turn 1 on lap 1, after it started raining on race day. Mazepin and Nicholas Latifi crashed at the exit of turn 13, bringing out the safety car. Under the safety car, Schumacher lost control of his car and spun into the pit exit, losing his front wing. On lap 31, at turn 7, Hamilton made a mistake, hitting the wall and damaging his front wing.

The moment he did, his teammate Bottas and George Russell had a crash at over 320 km/h on the start-finish straight, bringing out the red flag. After the race restarted, Norris overtook Charles Leclerc for second, but the former was overtaken by Hamilton, resulting in a podium of Verstappen, Hamilton and Norris. Formula 1 has used 13-inch tyres for a lengthy stretch but as Pirelli enters its second decade as sole supplier it will now provide 18-inch tyres. Development of the revised size has been underway since mid-2019, with the pandemic-induced delay giving Pirelli more time to hone the product.

The ambition is for Pirelli to produce tyres that lead to varying race strategies, of one or two stops, with a wider operating window desirable. There is also hope that this will be assisted in race trim by the reduction in dirty air from the new cars when a driver is pursuing a rival. Early feedback has been encouraging and drivers were able to sample the new specification during last month's post-race test in Abu Dhabi, albeit on the 2019-spec mule cars. How the new sizes influence the racing, and the driving style needed, will be an intriguing story to track, particularly in the early events. But it means even if Hamilton wins the shortened race, he will start the 19th round of this record-breaking 22-round season no higher than sixth. Should Verstappen take second, he will be promoted to pole position, putting him in the driving seat to extend his championship lead.

Another exciting element of the 2021 F1 season was the debut of Sprint Qualifying. The 100km races determined the starting grid for Sunday's grands prix and awarded championship points to the top three drivers. Meanwhile Stroll was by the accident ahead and drove into the side of Leclerc.

After a safety car, teams were told there would be a standing start from the grid, but just beforehand all the drivers except leader Hamilton dived into the pits for slick tyres, as the track was drying. The drama dutifully returned on the street circuit of Azerbaijan's capital, with a joint-record four red flags brought out during Saturday's qualifying session. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc managed to grasp pole position for the second race in a row but failed to keep it beyond lap two, when he was overtaken by Lewis Hamilton.

After that the Monegasque went backwards down the order but recovered to fourth. Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in qualifying, but received a ten-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of internal combustion engines. Valtteri Bottas finished first in sprint qualifying, but was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements. Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in qualifying, but did not start the race. Max Verstappen, in the second slot, was the first driver on the grid. Max Verstappen took pole position on the opening round in Bahrain.