Today's the day folks — the biggest-ever season in Formula One history is just a few hours from getting underway, with all 20 drivers and their 10 teams hoping to make a strong start to this year's 24-race campaign.
Three-time world champion Max Verstappen won his third successive title in dominant fashion last year, winning all but three of the 22 races on offer, and keeping his rapid Red Bull away from the podium will be the aim of the game for several of the other 19 drivers.
With the first race of the season taking place on a Saturday, rather than the traditional Sunday, and a huge 24 races on the calendar leading right up until mid-December, this could truly shape up to be one of the most open and highly-contested campaigns in F1 history, with more points on offer than ever before as Verstappen looks to make it four titles on the bounce.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this race, including start times, how to watch it across the world's major regions, and a preview of the following circuit in Saudi Arabia.
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How to watch F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: TV channel, live stream
The Bahrain Grand Prix is the first race of the 2024 Formula One season and takes place at the International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain.
Here's how to watch the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV channel | Streaming |
| USA | ESPN | ESPN+, Fubo, Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV |
| Canada | TSN (English), RDS / Noovo (French) | TSN Direct |
| UK | Sky Sports F1 | NOW TV, Sky Go app |
| Australia | Fox Sports, Channel 10 | Foxtel Go, Kayo Sports |
| India | — | F1 TV Pro |
USA: ESPN is showing the race live on US cable TV, and while there's also several streaming options, ESPN+ and Fubo are your best bets with the latter including a FREE trial.
Canada: Canadian F1 fans can watch English-speaking covering on TSN or stream via TSN Direct, while French speakers can also catch the action on RDS or Noovo.
UK: This race will be available to watch on Sky Sports' own dedicated Formula 1 Channel, Sky Sports F1, with streaming services Sky Go and NOW TV both using the same broadcast feed.
Australia: Fox Sports is the place to go in Australia as well as streaming options on Foxtel Go and Kayo.
India: The FIA's own TV and streaming service F1 TV Pro are providing global coverage for fans in India.
What time is F1 Bahrain Grand Prix race today?
The 57-lap Bahrain Grand Prix begins at 6:00 p.m. local time, and here's how that translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Start time | |
| USA | Saturday, Mar 2 | 10:00 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Saturday, Mar 2 | 10:00 a.m. ET |
| UK | Saturday, Mar 2 | 3:00 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Sunday, Mar 3 | 2:00 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Saturday, Mar 2 | 8:30 p.m. IST |
When is next F1 race after Bahrain?
The second race of the season doesn't stray too far away from Bahrain, heading to the other side of the Arabian Gulf to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Like the Bahrain circuit, this race will also take place on a Saturday rather than the usual Sunday date, as the Holy Month of Ramadan begins the following week.
Following a similar format to the season opener in Bahrain, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will begin with two practice sessions on Thursday, March 7, before a third followed by qualifying at 8:00 p.m. local time on Friday, March 8.
The race itself on Saturday, March 9 will also get underway at 8:00 p.m. local time, which and translates to lights out at 12:00 p.m. ET for US and Canada-based viewers.
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