Formula 1 is revving up for the inaugural race of the 2024 season. And, while the season has yet to officially start, the drama is already ramping up. There have been driver lineup switches, most notablyMercedes’ Lewis Hamilton making the jump to Ferrari for 2025, after what will be an 11-year tenure on the team.
Last season, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen ran away with the Constructors’ and Drivers’ championships, with Red Bull winning by a massive margin of 451 points and Verstappen winning by a margin of 290 points. It’s safe to assume that Red Bull will be eyeing a return to the top of the podium this season.
Fans of the sport will be watching out for something called the “Bahrain Curse,” simply the idea that whichever team wins the first race of the season will be destined to come in second place in the Constructors’ championship. (Granted, Red Bull proved this wrong in 2023.) After teams debuted their cars on track for the first time last weekend, this weekend’s race will be the first true test of each team’s 2024 model.
The Bahrain Grand Prix follows the traditional race weekend format, with three practice sessions across Thursday and Friday, a Friday qualifier and Saturday race. It’s important to note that both the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, not the usual Sunday, in deference to the holy month of Ramadan.
The main race, which takes place on Saturday, March 2 at 9:55 a.m ET (6:55 a.m PT) will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. The race will air on ESPN.
The entire race weekend, including practice sessions and qualifying, will be shown in the US on ESPN’s family of TV and streaming networks. Those looking to follow all of it will need access to the ABC and ESPN news channels on cable or live TV streaming services, or the ESPN Plus streaming service. We’ve broken down everything you need to know to stream today’s race, and all the other F1 races this season.
When, where and what time are the races?
Races are held on Sunday and are usually spaced two weeks apart. Here’s the entire schedule.
F1 2024 schedule
| Date | Race | Time |
|---|---|---|
| March 2 | Bahrain GP | 10 a.m. ET |
| March 9 | Saudi Arabian GP | 12 p.m. ET |
| March 24 | Austrailian GP | 12 a.m. ET |
| April 7 | Japanese GP | 1 a.m. ET |
| April 21 | Chinese GP | 3 a.m. ET |
| May 5 | Miami GP | 4 p.m. ET |
| May 19 | Romagna GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| May 26 | Monaco GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| June 9 | Canadian GP | 2 p.m. ET |
| June 23 | Spanish GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| June 30 | Austrian GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| July 7 | British GP | 10 a.m. ET |
| July 21 | Hungarian GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| July 28 | Belgian GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| Aug. 25 | Dutch GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| Sept. 1 | Italian GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| Sept. 15 | Azerbaijan GP | 7 a.m. ET |
| Sept. 22 | Singapore GP | 8 a.m. ET |
| Oct. 20 | United States GP | 3 p.m. ET |
| Oct. 27 | Mexican GP | 4 p.m. ET |
| Nov. 3 | Brazilian GP | 12 p.m. ET |
| Nov. 24 | Las Vegas GP | 1 a.m. ET |
| Dec. 1 | Qatar GP | 12 p.m. ET |
| Dec. 8 | Abu Dhabi GP | 8 a.m. ET |
Best option for streaming in the US
How to watch F1 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the race locally, you may need a different way to watch — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on race day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream F1 racing in the UK
F1 in the UK is shown on Sky Sports and Channel 4 — Sky Sports airs the races, practice rounds and qualifying, while free-to-air Channel 4 offers highlights broadcast after the day’s action takes place. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the race via its app, but cord-cutters can watch Sky TV with unlimited Sky Sports on a Now TV membership.
Other options for streaming in the US without cable
Beyond ESPN Plus, numerous live TV streaming services carry channels with F1. Race weekends normally start on Friday with multiple practice runs and continue on Saturday with qualifying. The races themselves take place Sunday. ESPN typically airs practices and qualifying on a mix of ESPN 2 and ESPNews, while the races tend to air on ESPN. F1 events in North America often land on ABC.
Here are some of the best ways to catch the entire race weekend without cable.