F1 Practice Today: Bahrain GP 2024 start times, schedule and ESPN coverage

It's finally time for the start of the season, kicking off with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.

The Bahrain International Circuit, hosts the opener for the fourth successive season, with some slightly funky timings.

A unique scheduling adjustment comes into play this year, stemming from the second race of the season, scheduled in Saudi Arabia. This event has been rescheduled to Saturday, 9th March, necessitated by the commencement of Ramadan.

This rescheduling has had a ripple effect on the Bahrain Grand Prix. To facilitate the timely transportation of equipment to Jeddah from Sakhir and to adhere to the rule of not having two grands prix within one calendar week, the Bahrain race has been pushed forward.

As a consequence, the standard grand prix weekend timeline experiences a shift of one day, with practice sessions now set for Thursday, qualifying taking place on Friday, and the race itself unfolding on Saturday.

This strategic adjustment ensures the seamless execution of both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races while accommodating logistical requirements and respecting scheduling constraints within the F1 calendar.

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So, without further ado, here is all you need to know heading into the first practice day of the season...

Abu Dhabi GP FP1 - Thursday, November 29, 2024

It's an early time slot for the first free practice session, starting at 6:30am ET/3:30am PT.

Here is the crucial start time wherever you are:

Local time: 2:30pm Thursday

United States (Eastern Time):6:30am Thursday

United States (Central Time):5:30am Thursday

United States (Pacific Time):3:30am Thursday

UK time (GMT):11:30am Thursday

Central European Time (CET):12:30am Thursday

South Africa: 1:30pm Thursday

Australia (Sydney/Melbourne):10:30pm Thursday

Abu Dhabi GP FP2 - Thursday, November 29, 2024

Local time: 6:00pm Thursday

United States (Eastern Time):10:00am Thursday

United States (Central Time):9:00am Thursday

United States (Pacific Time):7:00am Thursday

UK time (GMT):3:00pm Thursday

Central European Time (CET):4:00pm Thursday

South Africa: 5:00pm Thursday

Australia (Sydney/Melbourne):02:00am Friday

Abu Dhabi GP FP3 - Friday, March 1, 2024

Local time: 3:30pm Friday

United States (Eastern Time):7:30am Friday

United States (Central Time):6:30am Friday

United States (Pacific Time):4:30am Friday

UK time (GMT):12:30pm Friday

Central European Time (CET):1:30pm Friday

South Africa: 2:30pm Friday

Australia (Sydney/Melbourne):11:30pm Friday

How to watch the Bahrain GP live on TV today

The following broadcasters have F1 rights to cover the action from Bahrain, please check local listings:

United States: ESPN, ESPN Deportes

UK: Sky Sports F1

Australia: Fox Sports

Canada: RDS, TSN

France: Canal+

Germany: Sky Sport F1

Italy: Sky Sport F1

Spain: DAZN

Netherlands: Viaplay Xtra

Brazil: BandSports, Bandeirantes

Japan: DAZN

South Africa: SuperSport

Malaysia: beIN Sports

Singapore: beIN Sports

F1 TV Pro is also available in selected territories.

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