F1 Today: Japanese Grand Prix 2024 practice start times and ESPN coverage

Find out all the details for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix practice, including session start times and how to watch on TV in the US (and beyond).

The heat is on in F1 as we head to the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the fourth round of the season. Just three races in, the battle for both the drivers' and constructors' championships is a tight one.

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Reigning champion Max Verstappen clings to a narrow lead in the drivers' standings with 51 points, but Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is hot on his heels with 47. Just one point behind Leclerc sits Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, with Carlos Sainz (40 points) and Oscar Piastri (28 points) rounding out the top five.

In the constructors' championship, Red Bull are at the top of the pile with 97 points, but Ferrari aren't far behind with 93. McLaren, meanwhile, have surprised with their strong start, sitting comfortably in third place with 55 points, while Mercedes and Aston Martin are left playing catch-up.

With every point crucial, all eyes will be on Suzuka this weekend to see who can take the early advantage in this championship fight. But before the lights go out for Sunday's main event, let's take a look at the practice times and how you can catch all the action from Japan.

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Japanese Grand Prix FP1 - Friday, April 5, 2024

The first practice session at the Japanese GP kicks off on Friday, April 5, at 11:30am local time. Find the session start times converted to your local time zone below:

Local time (Japan): 11:30am Friday
United States (EDT): 10:30pm Thursday
United States (CDT): 9:30pm Thursday
United States (PDT): 7:30pm Thursday
UK time: 3:30am Friday
Central European Time (CEST): 4:30am Friday
Australia (Melbourne): 1:30pm Friday
South Africa: 4:30am Friday

Japanese Grand Prix FP2 - Friday, April 5, 2024

Local time (Japan): 3pm Friday
United States (EDT): 2am Friday
United States (CDT): 1am Friday
United States (PDT): 11pm Thursday
UK time (GMT): 7am Friday
Central European Time (CEST): 8am Friday
Australia (Melbourne): 5pm Friday
South Africa: 8am Friday

Japanese Grand Prix FP3 - Saturday, April 6, 2024

Local time (Japan): 11:30am Saturday
UK time: 3:30am Saturday
Central European Time (CEST): 4:30am Saturday
United States (EDT): 10:30pm Friday
United States (CDT): 9:30pm Friday
United States (PDT): 7:30pm Friday
Australia (Melbourne): 1:30pm Saturday
South Africa: 4:30am Saturday

How to watch the Japanese Grand Prix 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 States: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
United Kingdom: Sky Sports
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)
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.

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