A Formula 3 round is built around one qualifying session that shapes the whole weekend. Practice and qualifying take place on Friday, and the order set in qualifying then feeds two separate races.
The Sprint race on Saturday uses a partially reversed grid: the top twelve qualifiers are inverted, so the twelfth-fastest driver starts on pole and the fastest qualifier lines up twelfth. Mixing up the order this way puts quick drivers on the back foot and rewards overtaking.
The Feature race on Sunday is the main event and lines up in straight qualifying order, with the fastest qualifier on pole. The two races also pay points differently, and the Feature is worth far more (see how F3 scoring works).
Formula 3 slots into selected Formula 1 and Formula 2 weekends, so its drivers race in front of the same crowds and cameras as the championships they are aiming to reach.