F1 Race Today: Saudi Arabian GP 2024 start time and how to watch on ESPN

It's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix time - the second of three Saturday races in the 2024 season, and the last until Las Vegas in the fall.

The stage is set for a brilliant race in Jeddah, with Max Verstappen on pole for the first time at this race.

His blistering time of 1:27.472 seconds secured him the top spot, pushing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc into second place, which is a familiar position for the Monegasque driver who has now qualified on the front row for the seventh consecutive race.

READ MORE: F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weather forecast - Wind could trouble drivers in hot and sticky conditions

Further down the grid, Fernando Alonso defied expectations once again, securing a strong P4 for Aston Martin, just a hair's breadth behind Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. Oscar Piastri also secured a solid fifth place, outpacing his teammate Lando Norris.

One of the biggest talking points of the weekend was the performance of Oliver Bearman, the young reserve driver who filled in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari. Bearman, thrust into the spotlight due to Sainz's appendicitis, surprised everyone by finishing P10 in FP3. However, his impressive run came to an end in Q2, with Bearman falling short by a mere 0.036 seconds.

This near miss almost resulted in a major upset, as Bearman came within a whisker of knocking out Lewis Hamilton, who narrowly scraped into Q3 in P10.

With the grid set, all eyes are on the main event tonight. Will Verstappen hold onto his lead, or can Leclerc or another surprise challenger disrupt Red Bull's dominance?

READ MORE: F1 Schedule 2024: Full calendar with all you need to know about every grand prix

What time does the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix start today?

The second race of the 2024 season gets underway at 8pm in Saudi Arabia. Here's a quick breakdown for some major regions:

Local time (Saudi Arabia): 8pm Saturday
United States (EST): 12pm Saturday
United States (CST): 11am Saturday
United States (PST): 9am Saturday
UK time (GMT): 5pm Saturday
Central European Time (CET): 6pm Saturday
Australia (Sydney/Melbourne): 4am Sunday
South Africa: 7pm Saturday

How can I watch the F1 race on TV?

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

United States: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
United Kingdom: Sky Sports, Channel 4 (highlights)
Netherlands: Viaplay, Viaplay Xtra
Australia: Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo, Network Ten
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
Japan: Fuji TV, DAZN
Hungary: M4 (MTVA Sports Channel)
China: CCTV, Shanghai TV, Guangdong Television Channel, Tencent
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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