The 2026 Formula 1 season is officially in full swing. Following an action-packed double-header in Australia and China, the paddock has now unpacked at the legendary Suzuka Circuit for the Formula 1 Aramco Japanese Grand Prix. Serving as Round 3 of the 2026 World Championship, this high-speed, highly technical track is a massive fan favorite.
Because the race takes place in Japan, North American viewers will need to set their alarms, or brew an extra pot of coffee, to catch the action live. To make sure you don’t miss a single lap, here is your complete guide on how, when, and where to watch the 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix.
2026 Japanese Grand Prix Schedule (US Start Times)
Unlike the Chinese Grand Prix, which featured a Sprint race format, the Japanese Grand Prix will return to the traditional F1 weekend structure. This means drivers will get three full Free Practice sessions before Saturday’s vital Qualifying session.
Suzuka operates on Japan Standard Time (JST), which is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Here is the complete weekend schedule converted to US time zones:
- Free Practice 1: Thursday, March 26 at 10:30 p.m. EDT / 7:30 p.m. PDT
- Free Practice 2: Friday, March 27 at 2:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 p.m. PDT (Thursday night)
- Free Practice 3: Friday, March 27 at 10:30 p.m. EDT / 7:30 p.m. PDT
- Qualifying: Saturday, March 28 at 2:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 p.m. PDT (Friday night)
- The Japanese Grand Prix: Sunday, March 29 at 1:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 p.m. PDT (Saturday night)
(Note for UK Viewers: The clocks go forward by an hour at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 29, changing from GMT to BST. The race will begin at 6:00 a.m. BST for local UK fans.)
How to Watch and Stream Live on Apple TV
If you are watching from the United States, say goodbye to your cable package. Starting with the 2026 season, Apple has taken over as the exclusive broadcast partner for Formula 1 in a monumental five-year deal estimated at $150 million annually. This means you will no longer find F1 flipping through traditional cable channels like ESPN.
Here is exactly how you can catch the Suzuka action under the new Apple broadcasting era:
- Apple TV Subscription: A standard Apple TV subscription now grants you full access to all Free Practice, Qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix live. The broadcast is presented in crisp 4K with Dolby Vision, and viewers can choose between Apple’s commentary team or the Sky Sports feed.
- Free on the Apple TV App: Even if you don’t pay for a subscription, Apple is offering all Free Practice sessions and select Grand Prix races throughout the season completely for free in the Apple TV app.
- F1 TV Premium Included: F1 TV Premium is no longer a standalone streaming service in the U.S. Instead, it is bundled directly into your Apple TV subscription at no extra cost, giving you live telemetry and the ability to ride onboard with any driver on the grid.
- The Multiview Experience: Apple has rolled out a new multiview feature, allowing fans to watch up to four feeds at once—including race leaders, data trackers, and first-person onboard cameras. (If you happen to be watching on an Apple Vision Pro, you can even select up to five feeds simultaneously.)
Apple is also integrating the sport deeply into its broader ecosystem, offering 3D track renderings on Apple Maps, live video look-ins on Apple News, and dedicated driver warmup playlists on Apple Music. This tech-heavy shift aligns perfectly with F1’s rapidly changing demographic; recent data shows that 47% of new U.S. F1 fans (following the sport for five years or less) are aged 18-24, and over half of those new fans are female. Apple’s multi-platform approach aims to keep this younger, diverse audience engaged all week long.
What to Expect at Suzuka
The Suzuka Circuit is a true driver’s track. It is the only figure-eight layout on the F1 calendar and boasts a brutal 5.807-kilometer gauntlet of high-speed corners, including the notorious S Curves, the mistake-inducing Degner Curve, and the terrifyingly fast 130R. The race will run for a grueling 53 laps.
Historically, this has been Red Bull territory. Max Verstappen enters the weekend as the defending race winner and is chasing a staggering fifth successive victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
However, he is facing a massive uphill battle. Mercedes has arrived in Japan boasting a perfect season record. George Russell took the opening victory in Australia, while his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, dominated the Chinese Grand Prix. Mercedes has scored 1-2 finishes in both opening rounds, cementing the Silver Arrows as the absolute team to beat as the grid prepares to unleash their cars on Sunday.
