The Australian Grand Prix has undergone a scheduling shake-up for 2016 that will see the race start later in the year and earlier in the day.

The Albert Park event will maintain its traditional opening slot on the F1 calendar but will be pushed back to run from March 31 to April 3 as part of next year’s condensed season, organisers announced on Wednesday.

In a strange twist, the first three days of the event, including the qualifying races, will take place before daylight savings starts, while Sunday’s big race will run after the clocks in Victoria have been wound back.

Only once before has the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, which normally takes place in mid-March, been held in April.

That was in 2006 when it was moved to April 2 to avoid a clash with the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

The revised date has been welcomed by Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott.

“Over the past 20 years Melbourne has become synonymous with the start of a new Formula One season, and we look forward to again welcoming all the teams and drivers to our great city in 2016,” Westacott said.

The full 2016 F1 calendar has not yet been released.