It’s the first race of the 2024 Formula 1 as we gear up for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Saturday’s race will air on TV via ESPN. Fans can watch F1 racing for free by signing up for a trial of fuboTV.
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We return to the track after a dramatic offseason that saw scandal at Red Bull and legendary Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton planning to jump to Ferrari next season. For now, we’ll see if anyone on the grid can dethrone two-time champion Max Verstappen as he looks to continue his dominant run. Race day was moved from Sunday to Saturday due to the Ramadan holiday causing scheduling issues early in the season.
How to watch Bahrain GP Qualifying | Formula 1 2024
What time does the race start? What TV channel will it air on? – Saturday’s race will start at 9:55 a.m. EST. Coverage will air on TV via ESPN.
Live stream: fuboTV | Sling | DirecTV – Fans can watch F1 racing for free by signing up for fuboTV or DirecTV, which both have free trials. Meanwhile, Sling provides one of the cheapest streaming options on the market.
Viewers with a cable subscription can use credentials from their TV provider to watch via WatchESPN or the ESPN app.
More coverage via the Associated Press
Formula 1 great Lewis Hamilton kept his Ferrari move so closely guarded that he didn’t even tell his parents until the day it was announced.
The British driver rocked the F1 world when it was announced on Feb. 1 he was joining the Italian manufacturer next year, despite signing a new contract with Mercedes last summer.
“I didn’t speak to anybody. I didn’t tell my parents till the day of it being announced. So, no one knew,” Hamilton told a BBC podcast. “I really wanted to do it for myself. Ultimately, I had to find out what would be the best for me.”
It then emerged that the two-year deal penned with Mercedes and announced last August was actually for one year with an option for a second year, which Hamilton did not take.
Hamilton informed Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff of his decision to leave only the day before over breakfast at Wolff’s home. They have become close friends over the years after Hamilton joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013.
The 39-year-old Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have a record seven F1 titles each, and Hamilton is the outright leader with 103 race wins and 104 pole positions.
Hamilton has spoken in the past of the lure of racing with Ferrari, where Schumacher won five of his world titles.
“I mean, the opportunity just popped up and I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got to think for a second,’” Hamilton said. “(But) I didn’t have a lot of time to think and I had to just go with my gut feeling and I decided to take the opportunity.”
Hamilton begins his last season with Mercedes on Saturday at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
His last win was at the Saudi Arabian GP in the penultimate race of the 2021 campaign, where Max Verstappen won the first of his three straight titles with Red Bull.
