Formula 1 is back in full swing and gives no respite to fans! After the Australian round, the Circus will move to China for the next GP, and given the 7-hour time difference between Europe and Shanghai, it will be crucial to note the schedule to avoid missing a single minute of action from the Shanghai International Circuit.
An Unusual Weekend
The Shanghai circuit is one of the most advanced on the calendar and features highly demanding technical characteristics. Designed by engineer Hermann Tilke, it hosted Formula 1 from 2004 to 2019 before being temporarily excluded due to the pandemic. After several years of absence, the Chinese GP officially returned to the calendar in 2024. Shanghai will be one of six races this season to adopt the Sprint format. This means the schedule will be slightly different from traditional weekends: Friday will feature the only free practice session and qualifying for the Sprint, while Saturday will be split between the Sprint race in the morning and Grand Prix qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday, as always, will be dedicated to the main race.
The 2024 edition of the Chinese GP, held on April 21, saw Max Verstappen claim victory with Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT, securing his 58th career win. Starting from pole position, the Dutchman controlled the race authoritatively to the checkered flag. Lando Norris, in a McLaren-Mercedes, finished second, while Sergio Pérez completed the podium with the other Red Bull. The race featured several key moments, including a ten-second penalty for Kevin Magnussen for contact with Yuki Tsunoda at Turn 6 and another penalty for Logan Sargeant for overtaking Nico Hülkenberg under the safety car.
Here’s the full Chinese Grand Prix weekend schedule for the weekend converted to your time zone.
| Date | Session | New York, United States (ET) | Chicago, United States (CT) | Denver, United States (MT) | Los Angeles, United States (PT) | London, United Kingdom (GMT) | Central Europe (CET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, March 21 | FP1 | 11:30 PM | 10:30 PM | 9:30 PM | 8:30 PM | 3:30 AM | 4:30 AM |
| Friday, March 21 | Sprint Qualifying | 3:30 AM | 2:30 AM | 1:30 AM | 12:30 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:30 AM |
| Saturday, March 22 | Sprint | 11 PM | 10 PM | 9 PM | 8 PM | 3 AM | 4 AM |
| Saturday, March 22 | Qualifying | 3 AM | 2 AM | 1 AM | 12 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM |
| Sunday, March 23 | Race | 3 AM | 2 AM | 1 AM | 12 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM |
How to Watch the Chinese Grand Prix Live on TV
Fans in the United States can catch all the action from the Chinese Grand Prix live on ESPN, though coverage will be spread across different channels throughout the weekend.
The first and only free practice session (FP1) will air on ESPN2, along with Sprint qualifying later on Friday. On Saturday, the Sprint race will be broadcast live on ESPNU, before coverage returns to ESPN2 for the Grand Prix qualifying session.
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Sunday’s main event, the Chinese Grand Prix, will be shown live on ESPN.
Broadcast schedules and channels may vary by region, so be sure to check the details for your country to stay up to date on where to watch F1 this season.
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| Mexico | Fox Sports Mexico, Televisa |
| Australia | Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports |
| Italy | Sky Italia |
| Belgium | RTBF, Play Sports |
| Netherlands | Viaplay, Viaplay Xtra |
| Spain | DAZN F1 |
| Canada | RDS, RDS 2, TSN, Noovo |
| Germany | Sky Deutschland, RTL |
| France | Canal+ |
| Singapore | beIN SPORTS |
| China | CCTV, Shanghai TV, Guangdong Television Channel, Tencent |
| Japan | Fuji TV, DAZN |
| Hungary | M4 (MTVA Sports Channel) |
| Brazil | Bandeirantes, Bandsports |
| Austria | Servus TV, ORF |
| Middle East & Turkey | beIN SPORTS |
| Africa | SuperSport |
| India | FanCode |
| Latin America | ESPN |
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