F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – start time, grid, how to watch and more

Lando Norris will start from pole position at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Here’s how and when you can watch the race.

McLaren turned their dominance in practice at Yas Marina into a one-two in qualifying, with Norris taking pole ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri.

The Woking-based team has a 21-point lead over Ferrari in the battle for the constructors’ world championship. The Scuderia faced a tough qualifying as Charles Leclerc retired in the second quarter after losing his best lap time for exceeding track limits at Turn 1.

Since Leclerc is also serving a penalty of ten places on the grid due to a battery change, the Monegasque driver will start from 19th place on the grid. Teammate Sainz had a problem-free qualifying but was unable to challenge the McLaren duo in third place.

Lewis Hamilton also faces a battle through the field after crashing out in first qualifying, meaning he will start his final race for Mercedes in 16th place.

Nico Hülkenberg stunned with fourth place in qualifying for Haas, but was dropped three places by the FIA ​​commissioners for overtaking at the pit exit in Q1. This promoted Max Verstappen from Red Bull, Pierre Gasly from Alpine and George Russell from Mercedes.

Hülkenberg will instead start from seventh place, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas. Sergio Perez rounds out the top 10 for Red Bull.

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

When does the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix take place?

• Date: Sunday, December 8, 2024
• Start time: 5:00 p.m. local time/1:00 p.m. GMT

The 24th round of the 2024 F1 season, the Abu Dhabi GP, begins on Sunday, December 8th at 5:00 p.m. local time.

How can I watch Formula 1?

In the UK, Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 a few hours after the race ends. Live streaming via NOW is also available in the UK.

Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels, costing £18 per month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed via NOW with a one-off daily payment of £11.99 per month or a monthly membership of £34.99 per month.

How can I watch the F1 Abu Dhabi GP?

In the UK, Sky Sports will broadcast the Abu Dhabi GP live.

The race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Pre-race coverage begins at 11:30 GMT and pre-race coverage at 13:00 GMT.

• Channels: Sky Sports F1
• Start time: 11:30am GMT Sunday 8th December 2024

Autosport will broadcast live text coverage of the Abu Dhabi GP.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

When can I watch F1 Abu Dhabi GP highlights?

In the UK, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of the Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday at 5:30pm GMT. The full program will run for two and a half hours, covering the pre-race, race highlights and initial post-race reaction to summarize the key talking points of the race weekend.

Throughout the 2024 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying session and race of every event. The highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s on-demand catch-up services.

• Channel: Channel 4
• Start time: 17:30 GMT, Sunday 8 December 2024

Will the F1 Abu Dhabi GP be broadcast on the radio?

Live radio broadcasts of all practice, qualifying and races for the 2024 F1 season will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra, the BBC Sounds app and via the BBC Sport website.

Live coverage of the Abu Dhabi GP begins at 1pm GMT on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds app.

Weather forecast for the F1 Abu Dhabi GP

Current weather forecasts predict dry and warm conditions in Abu Dhabi, with a low chance of rain and light winds.

A temperature of 27 degrees Celsius is expected at the start of the race.

How many laps is the F1 Abu Dhabi GP?

The race is scheduled to complete 58 laps of the Yas Marina Circuit and cover a total race distance of 306.183 km.

F1 Abu Dhabi GP starting grid