I am curious about the specific details regarding an F1 race weekend in real life. I seem to recall that there are 2 sessions on Friday, and then either 1 or 2 Saturday morning followed by qualifying Saturday afternoon. Is that correct?

What I am interested in knowing is how long are the practice sessions? Are they timed or open? Is there a maximum number of laps a driver/car/team can run in a session? Is there a limit to what sort of setup changes can be made during practice sessions?

For a driver who might be new to the series who perhaps has never driven one of the tracks they are going to run, is there no opportunity for him to run practice sessions earlier in the week to learn the track?

Any details about how F1 drivers practice is what I'm looking for.

Thanks

There are two friday practice sessions (except in monaco, where there is 2 thursday sessions instead) consisting of one hour and thirty minutes each. There is 1 final practice session on saturday, consisting of one hour and thirty minutes each. This last session is a couple hours before qualifying. All the sessions are timed, and there is no limit to what the drivers can do. They can drive 50 laps, or 2 laps.
Setup changes are not limited, but if there is damage, there can be limits. Example: you break a gearbox in practice, it will cost you 5 grid spot penalty to replace it. Same goes for engine.

New F1 drivers that have not run on certain tracks can not practice on the actual tracks, unless all of the teams are given a chance to test there. Every team however, is given so many "testing" hours. They can choose when they would like to use their hours, although I can't admit to knowing much more about that.

A driver basically has to use a simulator to learn the track, if he or she doesn't know it.

Thanks for the details Andrew! That's what I've been wondering about. A couple more questions then, if I may:

Why does Monaco push the practice from Friday to Thursday?

And in the case of Massa smacking his car up today, will that cost him a grid penalty then?

I'm not entirely sure it costs Massa grid spots as I think the rule is aimed at mechanical failures only. I could be wrong on that though.

Monaco has traditionaly always had it's practice day on a thursday. Dunno why, traffic maybe?

I dont know the in's and out of massa's incident but if he damaged his engine or gearbox and either needs to be replaced he will lose grid positions

Massa's whole car could explode, but if his gearbox and engine still work, then he will not serve a grid penalty. Teams are allowed to brings all the parts for an F1 car, but they aren't allowed to build it up into a full car, until they need to. It's one of the most ridiculous rules ever.

If massa's accident had been much bigger, the mechanics would be up all night tonight re-building the spare car. But looks like they got it patched up nicely.

Monaco runs their practices on thursday due to some big holiday or something on friday. Or thats what I've heard. Not sure otherwise.

Massa's whole car plus engine and gearbox could explode on Friday sessions and he still wouldn't get a penalty for the race. That is because all teams are eligible to run completely new engines and gearboxes on Friday, which they do. ;) Only on Saturday sessions are they obliged to run engine and gearbox they will use in race.

Enis, I'm confused then.
Do you mean that the teams can run "practice engine and gearboxes" but for qualifying and race they must run "race engine and gearboxes"?

I know the teams are required to run engines for 2 races, and gearboxes for 4. So they have to swap out practice sets, for qualifying/race sets?

I thought engines had to last 2 races(cant remember how many races gearbox's need to last, maybe 4)? So if either went tits up on the friday i believe a penalty would be issued (if they were on anything but the 1st race of gearbox/engine life).

if the engine/gearbox were on 1st race of cycle then it doesnt matter.

I have heard that teams use different engines and gearboxes during practice, than in qualifying and race, but im not sure. That may be what enis is talking about.

Gearboxes must last 4 races, engines, 2.