F1 Qualifying Today: Japanese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV

Find out all the details for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session, including start times and how to watch in your region.

Friday at Suzuka served up a glimpse into what could unfold in qualifying and the race itself. Red Bull looked strong, with championship leader Max Verstappen topping the timesheets in FP1 by a convincing margin over team-mate Sergio Perez.

READ MORE: Japanese Grand Prix: Latest F1 qualifying results here

Ferrari were hot on their heels, with Carlos Sainz just over two tenths behind Verstappen. The Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton provided a glimpse of potential but ultimately finished further adrift, rounding out the top five.

Adding a touch of local flavour, Japanese youngster Ayumu Iwasa, filling in for Daniel Ricciardo in FP1 in front of his home crowd, put in a respectable performance, finishing a solid P16.

The session wasn't without its drama, though, with Williams' Logan Sargeant suffering a crash that ruled him out of FP2. This came after he missed the Australian Grand Prix weekend as the team opted to hand his car to Alex Albon.

READ MORE: F1 Japanese Grand Prix weather forecast - rain begins to impact at Suzuka

FP2 saw a shift in the order, with a resurgent McLaren taking centre stage in a rain-hit session. Oscar Piastri laid down a blistering time to claim P1. Hamilton, seemingly having found more pace in his Mercedes, came a close second.

Before we head into the all-important qualifying session, drivers will have one last chance to fine-tune their setups in FP3, with the promise of a thrilling battle for pole position looming large.

READ MORE: Verstappen drops F1 future BOMBSHELL ahead of Japanese GP

Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying - Saturday, April 6, 2024

Local time (Japan): 3pm Saturday
UK time: 7am Saturday
Central European Time (CEST): 8am Saturday
United States (EDT): 2am Saturday
United States (CDT): 1am Saturday
United States (PDT): 11pm Friday
Australia (Melbourne): 5pm Saturday
South Africa: 8am Saturday

How to watch the Japanese Grand Prix live on TV today

The answer depends on your location. Here's a breakdown of how to catch the action in some major countries:

United Kingdom: Sky Sports
United States: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Japan: Fuji TV, DAZN
Australia: Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo, Network Ten
Netherlands: Viaplay, Viaplay Xtra
Italy: Sky Italia
Spain: DAZN F1
Canada: RDS, RDS 2, TSN, Noovo
Germany: Sky Deutschland
France: Canal+
Belgium: RTBF, Telenet, Play Sports
Mexico: Fox Sports Mexico
Singapore: beIN SPORTS
Hungary: M4 (MTVA Sports Channel)
China: CCTV, Shanghai TV, Guangdong Television Channel, Tencent
Brazil: Bandeirantes, Bandsports
Austria: Servus TV, ORF
Middle East & Turkey: beIN SPORTS
Africa: SuperSport
Latin America: ESPN

F1TV Pro also carries coverage of the sport, depending on which territory you are in.

READ MORE: F1 on TV: The definitive guide to how to watch the 2024 season live

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

F1 2026: Ferrari congratulated after Adrian Newey investigation

• 1 hour ago

Fred Vasseur claims 'Ferrari would have won F1 title' if FIA had acted earlier

• 29 minutes ago

Martin Brundle says there is one 'crazy situation' that F1 must stop in 2026

• 2 hours ago

Max Verstappen announces epic Apple TV race as new deal agreed

• Yesterday 18:58

'Shut up and focus': George Russell's message to Lewis Hamilton after Australian Grand Prix

• March 8, 2026 20:56

F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has a plan to hunt down Mercedes: 'Not impossible'

• March 8, 2026 19:54