From 2021, Thursday media commitments will be folded into Friday, along with scrutineering, but practice sessions are not affected.
However, the Imola race could be seen as a trial for further changes to race weekends, particularly as F1 has been exploring the idea of cutting back practice sessions.
“There will still two practice sessions [in 2021], possibly shorter, in the afternoon,” F1 motorsport director Ross Brawn said of the 2021 regulation announcement.
“We’ll still get pretty close to the same amount of track time but it will make it more efficient. The teams have been very co-operative on this process and most feel they can come to a race weekend at least one day later than they currently do.”
Another factor that may have influenced the decision is the compact nature of this season’s championship.
With a triple-header already in the books and teams in the midst of its second of the season already, shorter weekends could both fit extra races into an already tight schedule as well as give mechanics and team members much needed rest between events.
Formula 1 last raced at Imola in 2006 and will be the third visit to Italy during the altered 2020 season, after Monza and Mugello both set to take place in September.