The 2021 F1 season begins this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Join us on RaceFans Live throughout every session from the Bahrain International Circuit. Look out for the live page on the site during every session and follow all the action with your fellow RaceFans.Note that Formula 1 race start times this year have reverted to being ‘on the hour’, instead of at 10 minutes past. Formula 2 has changed its format and will now hold three races per weekend instead of two.
Here’s how to watch the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix live in the UK and USA:
How to watch the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix
Friday 26 March – Sunday 28 March
UK (GMT/BST)
Day | Session | Channel | Session starts | Session ends |
---|---|---|---|---|
Friday | Bahrain Grand Prix first practice live | Sky Sports F1 | 11:30 | 12:30 |
Friday | Bahrain Grand Prix second practice live | Sky Sports F1 | 15:00 | 16:00 |
Saturday | Bahrain Grand Prix Formula 2 race one live | Sky Sports F1 | 10:25 | |
Saturday | Bahrain Grand Prix third practice live | Sky Sports F1 | 12:00 | 13:00 |
Saturday | Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying live | Sky Sports F1 | 15:00 | |
Saturday | Bahrain Grand Prix Formula 2 race two live | Sky Sports F1 | 16:40 | |
Sunday | Bahrain Grand Prix Formula 2 race three live | Sky Sports F1 | 11:50 | |
Sunday | Bahrain Grand Prix live | Sky Sports F1 | 16:00 |
NB. UK viewers note the clocks go forward by one hour at 1am on Sunday 28th March
USA (Eastern)
Day | Session | Channel | Session starts | Session ends |
---|---|---|---|---|
Friday | Bahrain Grand Prix first practice live | ESPNU | 07:30 | 08:30 |
Friday | Bahrain Grand Prix second practice live | ESPNU | 11:00 | 12:00 |
Saturday | Bahrain Grand Prix third practice live | ESPN2 | 08:00 | 09:00 |
Saturday | Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying live | ESPN2 | 11:00 | |
Sunday | Bahrain Grand Prix live | ESPN2 | 11:00 |
NB. All times shown on 24-hour clock
Watch F1 live in the USA and other regions on F1 TV
RaceFans readers in the USA, Mexico, France, Belgium and many other countries can watch all sessions live on F1 TV Pro.
As well as access to the live world feed you can watch onboard cameras and hear live team radio from all 20 drivers. And when you buy using the link below you also make a contribution to RaceFans! Find out more and sign up here:
For details of coverage in your area see these links or share information in the comments:RaceFans earns a commission on products sold via the links to our affiliate partners above, however you are not charged any extra. See here for more information.
Find times for every F1 session this year and all the 2021 race dates with the RaceFans Google Calendar.
2021 Bahrain Grand Prix
- Why one driver says there’s no easy solution to F1’s ‘messy’ track limits problem
- Verstappen: Lost win in Bahrain “is not going to matter” if we have fastest car
- The classic rivalry for ‘best of the rest’ and six more Imola talking points
- Tsunoda surprised to make bigger impact in Europe than Japan after debut
- Ocon: We need to extract the maximum from the car to score points
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
22nd March 2021, 7:42
Wow, F2 going really experimental with their schedule there 🤣
ColdFly (@)
22nd March 2021, 7:59
I guess time travel will be introduced in race 2, or the cars race backwards ;)
Simon
22nd March 2021, 16:14
Nah, they’re racing on the outer circuit 🤣
Jere (@jerejj)
22nd March 2021, 7:53
Ending times are somewhat redundant for qualifyings and races as they can last beyond the time showed, unlike practice sessions, which have a fixed ending time. The race equivalent above is too early for the session as it most definitely won’t last an hour, unless for a premature end before the scheduled distance.
BTW, I still don’t quite get the different treatment of one specific North American time zone from the rest, or the entire world for that matter, even though Racefans.net used to show only the UK equivalents until the Eastern addition for the 2018 Bahrain GP.
Jere (@jerejj)
22nd March 2021, 7:56
I didn’t notice at first, but the F2 timings are weird. Something doesn’t seem to be right in those.
falken (@falken)
22nd March 2021, 8:42
What? Not on free to air channel 4 this year!?!
Nope, just missing its on at a reasonable half 6pm eg https://www.channel4.com/tv-guide/2021/03/27
Relief!
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
22nd March 2021, 9:59
I don’t know what I’m going to do this year.
I can’t find any offers for NowTV this year. To cover the whole season, the cheapest price will be to buy 10 month deals which will add up to £340 which is absolutely extortionate. Last year, they offered 3 months for £25 and then to cover the rest of the season, it only added up to around £170. The previous year or two both were just under £200 for a season pass, then £150 before that.
This years price is just ridiculous. It is likely going to have to be my first year of not watching F1 live.
davidhunter13 (@davidhunter13)
22nd March 2021, 11:12
They sent me an email offering £20 a month for 9 months to cover the season. I hate paying it at all but I’m tempted as no doubt I’ll end up shelling out more just for a couple of races here and there and wish I’d taken up the offer.
Don’t know if you need to have been a previous subscriber to be sent an offer but maybe check the website when you login and see if they’re doing it.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
22nd March 2021, 11:31
@davidhunter13
That is around the same price as previous years (even 10×20 is £200) which I think is on the edge of acceptable, but I can’t find that option anywhere. Will keep looking this week. Maybe i have to buy month pass first then cancel it to get this option.
davidhunter13 (@davidhunter13)
22nd March 2021, 11:37
I’d be careful about trying that. I don’t know why I got the offer, but every time I cancel on NowTV I say I can’t afford it and often get decent offers for X no of months at a reduced price (this works really well for the entertainment pass btw, I’ve been on £6 a month or less for about a year doing that!).
I’d guess if you’ve not been sent this offer from them you might just be unlucky. It expires at midnight on the 24th as well.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
22nd March 2021, 13:05
@davidhunter13
I may do what this guide suggests and just hope that cancelling will end up offering something better.
https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/lxfz1y/now_tv_2021_f1_season_uk/
János Henkelmann
22nd March 2021, 14:45
There’s always the illegal stream in Bulgarian :)
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
22nd March 2021, 14:23
Well done @falken
I don’t know why the C4 (in the U.K.) times are not listed here as they have always been in the past. Hopefully just an oversight this time.
I have looked it up and the race highlights are actually at 8.30 p.m. on Sunday evening.
Sihrtogg (@sihrtogg)
28th March 2021, 10:10
I can watch the live broadcast for free from the Dutch cable company Ziggo. However it features commentary — in typical Dutch fashion done solo ‘to bond with the lonely viewer’ — by professional clown Olav Mol. In fact the whole presentation is made up of guys pretending to be simultaneously tough and slick. It’s vexatious to watch and listen to.
Believe it or not, I pay for a VPN so I can pretend I live in the UK and enjoy the blissful extended compilaton and proper interviews from the Channel4 team instead.
I just have to make sure I don’t get spoiled in the few hours inbetween. As my smartphone-free moment of the week, it has turned into a fond tradition.
Rodber
22nd March 2021, 9:19
Any legal experts among us?
Just wondering if Sky’s monopoly on F1 coverage in the UK, and the exorbitant fee they are charging is all above board??
Tommy Scragend
22nd March 2021, 10:05
Why wouldn’t it be?
Just because you don’t want to pay for something doesn’t make it illegal.
davidhunter13 (@davidhunter13)
22nd March 2021, 11:05
Unfortunately yeah lol. They bought the rights for the UK, the paid what they paid and beat out anyone else that was interested, so they have the right to charge for access and charge what they like.
Fingered crossed though if we make enough noise and if F1 has any sense then they might sell the rights to Amazon or just give us the F1TV thing and we can watch for a fraction of the price (even for a premium Amazon would likely charge like £5 a month, tenner max, which is a massive change compared to NowTV or a Sky contract.
AliceD (@aliced)
26th March 2021, 10:01
What Sky is doing should be illegal. I don’t pay Sky any money and never will. Anyone who gives Sky money is a sucker
Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
27th March 2021, 11:34
I think petty name calling because someone wants to do something you don’t is pretty poor – is that what gets you through the day?
Asanator (@asanator)
22nd March 2021, 12:34
@Rodber It isn’t exacty a monopoly if Channel4 are showing FTA highlights.
AliceD (@aliced)
26th March 2021, 12:51
It is 100% a monopoly. Sky is blocking everyone in the UK from watching F1 on F1TV. Only way to watch is paying Sky. The crumbs that Sky allow channel4 to have is a joke.
Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
22nd March 2021, 10:53
F1 – 4pm
MotoGP – 6pm
What a Sunday!
Ajaxn
22nd March 2021, 11:49
There’s been a rumor of talks with Amazon… i hope this happens even though it seems a bit late for the start of this season.
Ryan
22nd March 2021, 12:13
Sky have exclusive rights, in the UK at least, until the end of 2024. Unless there is some major money changing hands they aren’t giving up that monopoly any time soon. Cheers Bernie for lining your pockets before getting kicked out.
F1JohnS (@)
22nd March 2021, 14:22
Think you’ll find the teams are the biggest beneficiary of Sky’s huge cheques since they get the largest share of revenue. However now they have all agreed cost caps maybe more sense will prevail when it comes to UK contract renewal, somehow I doubt it though.
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
22nd March 2021, 16:13
I don’t see a GMT time. How are non-Brits supposed to calculate what BST means on a DST weekend?
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
22nd March 2021, 16:21
BST is one hour in advance of GMT. So it appears that the times above are BST which will be one hour later than GMT.
theRealMax (@millionus)
22nd March 2021, 17:15
Last year there were some races on sky1 which they sneaked in and didn’t publicise much. Previously they have had season openers and British gp. Anyone have any insight if this is to be repeated this year?
frood19 (@frood19)
23rd March 2021, 7:07
This has been said ad nauseum but it bears repeating – the lack of live free to air coverage is an absolute travesty. The idea that this sport should not be one of the protected events is just ludicrous when the vast majority of the teams are British.
And for what? A quick buck at the expense of annihilating the reach and exposure to millions. Cricket blew it in the same way back in the mid 2000s, rugby seems to about to do the same – it’s just grubby, short sighted capitalism and it’s utterly self defeating.
Darren Johnston
23rd March 2021, 14:26
i have sky tv broadband +talk for 42 a month and f1 channel for extra 10
Captain Pie (@captainpie)
27th March 2021, 8:27
Ok thanks for the info Darren…