2024 Chinese Grand Prix preview: timings, how to watch, and more
The Formula 1 circus returns to China for the first time since 2019 this weekend, as Max Verstappen resumes his march for a fourth world title. A third one-two of the season for Red Bull last time out at the Japanese Grand Prix cemented the team’s dominance ahead of Ferrari and the rest, and it would take a brave individual to bet against Verstappen and Sergio Pérez claiming the top two steps on the podium once again.
Hot topics ahead of the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix
Zhou Guanyu is preparing to take part in his first home grand prix. The Chinese driver joined the F1 grid in 2022 and finally gets to experience the home advantage in his third season. He remains pointless after four races in 2024 as Sauber has struggled for pace, but an 11th-place finish in Bahrain is the team’s best of the campaign. A point for Zhou would be a great result and a wonderful story for the 24-year-old.
Alpine’s struggles have been well documented since they slumped to an awful result in Bahrain. The French team sits at the very bottom of the constructors’ championship, and the significance of that fact is clearly not lost on the team. In response, Alpine has fast-tracked an upgrade to its floor and will run it for the first time at the Chinese Grand Prix in a bid to rectify its abysmal start to the 2024 F1 season.
Fernando Alonso has pledged his future to Aston Martin until at least the end of the 2026 season, which will see him team up with Honda for the next era of engine regulations. He’s spoken this week about his confidence in the team’s ambition, and must surely believe that Aston is capable of delivering his elusive third world championship. His new contract confirms his status as an F1 driver until he is at least 45 years old.
The first F1 sprint weekend of 2024
The Chinese Grand Prix will play host to the first sprint weekend of the 2024 F1 season, of which there will be six in total.
The sprint format has been subjected to yet another revamp ahead of this season. Sprint qualifying will continue to take place on Friday afternoon after the first practice session, but the sprint race itself will now take place on Saturday morning before qualifying for the grand prix on Saturday afternoon.
Championship points will be awarded to the top eight finishers in sprints.
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Position |
Points |
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1 |
8 |
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2 |
7 |
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3 |
6 |
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4 |
5 |
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5 |
4 |
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6 |
3 |
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7 |
2 |
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8 |
1 |
When can I watch the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can prepare yet another weekend of early starts, as free practice one kicks off the F1 action on Friday from 04:30 UK time (11:30 local time) before sprint qualifying gets underway at 08:30.
The sprint itself follows at 04:00 (11:00 local) on Saturday morning. The 100km race is scheduled to last for around 30 minutes. Qualifying for the grand prix begins at 08:00.
The Chinese Grand Prix starts at 08:00 UK time on Sunday 21st April, the first time the race has been held in the country since 2019.
How to watch the Chinese Grand Prix
Sky Sports retains exclusive rights to all live coverage of F1 in the UK. Every session of the Chinese Grand Prix will be shown live and uninterrupted on Sky Sports F1.
US viewers can catch all the action on ESPN, and Australian audiences can watch on Kayo Sports. The F1 TV Pro app will also provide coverage of every F1 session across the weekend to several countries the world over.
Which series are supporting in Shanghai?
Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy continue their absence from the F1 schedule in China, with support duties instead carried out by Chinese F4 and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. Both series will be carrying out their own programmes throughout the weekend alongside the F1 action.
F2 and F3 return at Imola in mid-May, while round two of the F1 Academy season takes place in Miami on 3rd-5th May.
Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.
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