F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch, & more

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

McLaren converted its domination during practice at Yas Marina into a 1-2 in qualifying, with Norris taking pole ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri.

The Woking-based squad holds a 21-point lead over Ferrari in the world constructors’ championship tussle, with the Scuderia enduring a tough qualifying with Charles Leclerc knocked out in Q2 after losing his best lap time for exceeding track limits at Turn 1.

With Leclerc also serving a 10-place grid penalty for a battery change, the Monegasque driver will start from 19th on the grid. Team-mate Sainz had an untroubled qualifying but couldn’t challenge the McLaren pair in third place.

Lewis Hamilton also faces a fight through the pack after dropping out in Q1 of qualifying, meaning he will start his final race for Mercedes in 16th.

Nico Hulkenberg stunned in qualifying for Haas with fourth place but was handed a three-place grid drop by the FIA stewards for overtaking at pit exit during Q1. This promoted Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly  and Mercedes' George Russell.

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

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15 (Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images)

When is the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

• Date: Sunday 8 December 2024
• Start time: 5:00pm local time/1:00pm GMT

The 24th round of the 2024 F1 season, the Abu Dhabi GP, gets under way at 5:00pm local time on Sunday 8 December.

How can I watch Formula 1?

In the United Kingdom, Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through 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 which costs £18 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.99p or a month membership of £34.99p per month.

How can I watch the F1 Abu Dhabi GP?

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will be live broadcasting the Abu Dhabi GP.

The race will be shown live on Sky Sports F1, with pre-race coverage starting at 11:30am GMT, ahead of the race start at 1:00pm GMT.

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

Autosport will be running a live text coverage of the Abu Dhabi GP.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24 (Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images)

When can I watch the F1 Abu Dhabi GP highlights?

In the United Kingdom, Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of the Abu Dhabi GP at 5:30pm GMT on Sunday. The full programme will run for two and a half hours, covering the pre-race, the race highlights and the initial post-race reaction to wrap up the major talking points of the race weekend.

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

• Channel: Channel 4
• Start time: 5:30pm GMT, Sunday 8 December 2024

Will the F1 Abu Dhabi GP be on the radio? 

Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2024 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra stations, the BBC Sounds app and the via the BBC Sport website.

Live coverage of the Abu Dhabi GP will start at 1:00pm GMT on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and on 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 low winds. 

The temperature is expected to be 27 degrees Celsius for 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, covering a total race distance of 306.183km.

F1 Abu Dhabi GP starting grid

Main Information Additional Data Driver Info

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Main Information Additional Data 1  -  2
Cla	Driver	#		Chassis	Engine	Time	km/h
1	L. Norris McLaren	4		McLaren	Mercedes	1'22.595	230.178
2	O. Piastri McLaren	81		McLaren	Mercedes	+0.209 1'22.804	229.597
3	C. Sainz Ferrari	55		Ferrari	Ferrari	+0.229 1'22.824	229.542
4	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27		Haas	Ferrari	+0.291 1'22.886	229.370
5	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1		Red Bull	Red Bull	+0.350 1'22.945	229.207
6	P. Gasly Alpine	10		Alpine	Renault	+0.389 1'22.984	229.099
7	G. Russell Mercedes	63		Mercedes	Mercedes	+0.537 1'23.132	228.691
8	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14		Aston Martin	Mercedes	+0.601 1'23.196	228.515
9	V. Bottas Sauber	77		Sauber	Ferrari	+0.609 1'23.204	228.493
10	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11		Red Bull	Red Bull	+0.669 1'23.264	228.329
11	Y. Tsunoda RB	22		RB	Red Bull	+0.824 1'23.419	227.904
12	L. Lawson RB	30		RB	Red Bull	+0.877 1'23.472	227.760
13	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18		Aston Martin	Mercedes	+1.189 1'23.784	226.912
14	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20		Haas	Ferrari	+1.282 1'23.877	226.660
15	Z. Guanyu Sauber	24		Sauber	Ferrari	+1.285 1'23.880	226.652
16	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44		Mercedes	Mercedes	+1.292 1'23.887	226.633
17	J. Doohan Alpine	61		Alpine	Renault	+1.510 1'24.105	226.046
18	A. Albon Williams	23		Williams	Mercedes	+1.226 1'23.821	226.811
19	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16		Ferrari	Ferrari	+1.238 1'23.833	226.779
20	F. Colapinto Williams	43		Williams	Mercedes	+1.317 1'23.912	226.565
View full results

In this article

Haydn Cobb

Formula 1

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