F1 Qatar Grand Prix live stream 2024 — how to watch, start time, qualifying, race schedule

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 leads George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W14, Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W14 and the rest of the field into turn one at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on October 08, 2023 in Lusail City, Qatar.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

There will be plenty of eyes on the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix as the F1 season reaches its penultimate weekend under the lights of the Lusail International Circuit. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have won the two previous editions — in 2021 and 2023 respectively — but anything could happen as the sport's biggest names go wheel-to-wheel in what is also the last race weekend to feature an F1 Sprint event.

We'll explain in this article how to watch Qatar Grand Prix live streams from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for FREE — as well as share all the information on the weekend schedule, global start times, race circuit and more.

When is the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix?

The 2024 Qatar GP takes place on Sunday, December 1 at 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. GMT. That's 8 p.m. local time at the Lusail International Circuit.

How to watch Qatar Grand Prix 2024 on TV

You can watch the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix live and in full on ESPN channels in the U.S. That includes all the F1 race weekend practice sessions and qualifying, as well as the race itself.

In the U.K., F1 broadcasting rights belong to Sky TV. Fox Sports is the F1 rights holder in Australia. We have full information on watching F1 on TV here.

Qatar Grand Prix Live Streams

You can watch the Qatar Grand Prix with one of these live-streaming services, without an expensive cable or satellite TV package:

Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the race?

You can still watch the Qatar Grand Prix live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. Ideal for F1 fans away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:

Image

There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 5,000 servers, across 60 countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend.

Try the $3.99 per month plan for the best value

Qatar Grand Prix schedule 2024

The 2024 Qatar Grand Prix schedule is as follows:

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 U.K. (GMT)U.S. (ET / PT)Australia (AEDT)
Practice 11:30 p.m.8:30 a.m. / 6:30 a.m.12:30 a.m. (Sat)
Sprint Qualifying5:30 p.m.12:30 p.m. / 9:30 a.m.4:30 a.m. (Sat)
Sprint1 p.m.8 a.m. / 5:30 a.m.12 a.m. (Sun)
Qualifying5 p.m.12 p.m. / 9 a.m.4 a.m. (Sun)
Grand Prix5 p.m.12 p.m. / 9 a.m.4 a.m. (Mon)

What time is the Qatar Grand Prix worldwide?

Lights out for the start of the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix is set for 8 p.m. local time in Qatar on Sunday, December 1. Here are the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix start times in Europe, India, South Africa and other worldwide locations:

  • 9 a.m. PST – Pacific Standard Time
  • 10 a.m. MST – Mountain Standard Time
  • 11 a.m. CST – Central Standard Time
  • 12 p.m. EST – Mexico City, Mexico
  • 12 p.m. EST – Eastern Standard Time
  • 2 p.m. BRT – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • 5 p.m. GMT – United Kingdom
  • 6 p.m. CET – Central Europe
  • 7 p.m. SAST – South Africa
  • 9 p.m. GST – Dubai, UAE
  • 10:30 p.m. IST – New Delhi, India 
  • 12 a.m. WIB – Jakarta, Indonesia
  • 1 a.m. CST – Beijing, China (Mon, Dec. 2)
  • 4 a.m. AEDT – Australia (Mon, Dec. 2)
  • 6 a.m. NZDT – New Zealand (Mon, Dec. 2)

Qatar Grand Prix circuit

A map of the Lusail International Circuit, Qatar

(Image credit: Will Pittenger / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Losail_International_Circuit#/media/File:Lusail_International_Circuit_2023.svg)

The 2024 Qatar Grand Prix takes place over 57 laps of the 5.419-kilometre Lusail  International Circuit.

The Qatar Grand Prix is one of the newest additions to the F1 calendar, first being staged in 2021 as a late replacement for the Australian Grand Prix, which had been canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time Down Under. The Lusail International Circuit filled the void and returned in 2023 as a permanent fixture, following a year off as Qatar focused on hosting the 2022 World Cup.

The circuit opened in 2004 and has hosted the Qatar Moto GP ever since, plus World Super Bikes from the following year until 2020. World Touring Car Championship, FIM Endurance World Championship and Motocross World Championship have also been held at the track.

The Qatar Grand Prix is one of six F1 2024 races held under floodlights, starting at 8 p.m. local time. Despite the evening start time, desert temperatures make this one of the most gruelling Grands Prix for drivers. In 2023, Esteban Ocon vomited twice in his car while finishing seventh and Logan Sargeant retired from the race suffering heatstroke and dehydration.

Qatar Grand Prix FAQ

So, that's how to watch the Qatar Grand Prix and all the race timings sorted. Now here's an F1 Qatar FAQ for everything else you want to know about the upcoming race.

When is the next race?

The 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix follows one week after the Qatar GP. Abu Dhabi is the final race of a tripleheader that began in Las Vegas and that brings an end to the 2024 season. The race date is Sunday, December 8.

Who won the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix?

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the 2023 Qatar GP, finishing with a time of 1:27:39.168 to extend yet further his unassailable lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship.

The Dutchman claimed pole position and dominated the 57-lap race ahead of Oscar Piastri's McLaren-Mercedes. Piastri won the Sprint event ahead of Verstappen.

What is the lap record at Qatar Grand Prix?

Verstappen set the fastest lap time at the Lusail International Circuit in 2021. Driving in his Red Bull, he posted a time of 1:23.196.

Qatar Grand Prix winners

There have only been two editions of the Qatar Grand Prix and it's F1's two big beasts who have come out on top, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Seven-time world champion emerged victorious in the inaugural race in 2021, qualifying in pole position and receiving the chequered flag more than 25 seconds ahead of nearest challenger Verstappen.

The Dutchman got his revenge two years later, with no race scheduled for 2022 while Qatar prepared to host the World Cup. In 2023, it was Verstappen's turn to win from pole, en route to his third world title.

More from Tom's Guide

VPN statement

(Image credit: Future)
Andy Murray
Contributor

Andy Murray is an award-winning sports writer and columnist. A fluent Spanish speaker and former semi-professional footballer, he was senior staff writer of world-leading football magazine FourFourTwo for seven years and continues to write and edit for them, national newspapers, websites and Premier League clubs. He is not a famous tennis player.