F1 Practice Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV

The Chinese Grand Prix is back on the F1 calendar for 2024 and we have all the details on when and how to watch live - starting with practice today!

F1 finally returns to Shanghai this weekend after a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the passage of time and regulation changes have effectively turned the Shanghai International Circuit into a new track for this generation of F1 machinery.

READ MORE: F1 Chinese Grand Prix: Full track layout for Shanghai International Circuit

The Chinese GP also sees the first F1 Sprint Race of the season, which adds another layer of intrigue. Unlike usual race weekends with three practice sessions, teams will only have a single-hour window on Friday morning to gather data and dial in their cars.

This session becomes paramount, as the learnings gleaned here will directly translate into setup choices for the all-important Sprint Qualifying (Sprint Shootout) later that afternoon.

Now, let's take a look at the practice time and how you can catch all the action from Shanghai.

READ MORE: F1 Sprint Qualifying Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV

Chinese Grand Prix Free Practice - Friday, April 19, 2024

The only free practice session at the Chinese GP kicks off today, Friday, April 19, at 11:30am local time. Find the session start times converted to your local time zone below:

Local time (China): 11:30am Friday
UK time: 4:30am Friday
Central European Time (CEST): 5:30am Friday
United States (EDT): 11:30pm Thursday
United States (CDT): 10:30pm Thursday
United States (PDT): 8:30pm Thursday
Australia (Melbourne): 1:30pm Friday
South Africa: 5:30am Friday

READ MORE: F1 Chinese Grand Prix weather forecast - latest today from Shanghai

How to watch Chinese Grand Prix practice live on TV today

The answer depends on your location. Here's a breakdown of how to catch the action in some major countries:

United Kingdom: Sky Sports
United States: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
China: CCTV, Shanghai TV, Guangdong Television Channel, Tencent
Japan: Fuji TV, DAZN
Australia: Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo, Network Ten
Netherlands: Viaplay, Viaplay Xtra
Italy: Sky Italia
Spain: DAZN F1
Canada: RDS, RDS 2, TSN, Noovo
Germany: Sky Deutschland
France: Canal+
Belgium: RTBF, Telenet, Play Sports
Mexico: Fox Sports Mexico
Singapore: beIN SPORTS
Hungary: M4 (MTVA Sports Channel)
Brazil: Bandeirantes, Bandsports
Austria: Servus TV, ORF
Middle East & Turkey: beIN SPORTS
Africa: SuperSport
Latin America: ESPN

F1TV Pro also carries coverage of the sport, depending on which territory you are in.

READ MORE: F1 on TV: The definitive guide to how to watch the 2024 season live

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