In the US, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix streams on Apple TV, which holds exclusive US rights to Formula 1 from 2026. The season finale is Sunday, December 6 at 8 AM Eastern, 5 AM Pacific, so most fans watch at home, and a few gather at bars that open early for the race. If you are heading out, confirm the venue opens early and is showing the race before you go.
Apple holds exclusive US rights to Formula 1 from 2026. Practice, qualifying and the race stream with an Apple TV subscription, and Apple makes all practice sessions and selected race weekends available without one. Check Apple’s official F1 viewing guide for this weekend, or read our full 2026 viewing guide for other countries.
Times come from the official 2026 calendar data on the WatchF1 schedule. Abu Dhabi is the early one for US fans. Every session starts before noon on the East Coast, and on the West Coast Practice 1 is at 1:30 AM and the race is at 5 AM. Formula 1 can change session times, so check again on race week.
| Session | Eastern (ET) | Pacific (PT) |
|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri Dec 4, 4:30 AM | Fri Dec 4, 1:30 AM |
| Practice 2 | Fri Dec 4, 8 AM | Fri Dec 4, 5 AM |
| Practice 3 | Sat Dec 5, 5:30 AM | Sat Dec 5, 2:30 AM |
| Qualifying | Sat Dec 5, 9 AM | Sat Dec 5, 6 AM |
| Race | Sun Dec 6, 8 AM | Sun Dec 6, 5 AM |
Need Central, Mountain or UK time? See the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2026 start times page.
At home. For most US fans, this is a race to watch at home. Formula 1 is on the Apple TV app on an Apple TV box, an iPhone or iPad, a Mac, a smart TV with the Apple TV app, or a web browser. Open the app on Saturday night, sign in and find the race so it is ready to play, because there is no time to reset a password at lights out.
Hosting the crew. An 8 AM Eastern start suits a breakfast watch party for the last race of the year. On the West Coast, a 5 AM start is better suited to a small group than a crowd. Our F1 watch party ideas cover the setup, food and a race-day checklist.
At a bar. Our city guides list bars that show F1. Very few bars open at 8 AM on a Sunday, let alone 5 AM, so treat any listing as a starting point. Start with our guides for New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago and Houston, or browse every city. WatchF1 is an independent fan guide and does not run these events or take reservations, so confirm the venue opens early, is showing the race and keeps the sound on to the flag before you head out.
Apple TV holds exclusive US rights to Formula 1 from 2026. Every session streams with an Apple TV subscription, and Apple makes all practice sessions and selected race weekends available without one. Check Apple's official F1 viewing guide for this weekend's availability.
The race starts Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 8 AM Eastern, 5 AM Pacific. Qualifying is Saturday, December 5 at 9 AM Eastern, 6 AM Pacific. Practice 1 is Friday, December 4 at 4:30 AM Eastern, 1:30 AM Pacific.
WatchF1's city guides list bars that show F1 across the US. The race starts at 8 AM Eastern on a Sunday, so confirm the venue opens early, is showing the race and keeps the sound on. WatchF1 is an independent fan guide and does not run these events.
No cable channel carries live F1 in the US in 2026. ESPN's coverage ended after 2025, and every session streams on Apple TV.
Yes. Abu Dhabi is round 23 of 23 and closes the 2026 season, one week after the Qatar Grand Prix.
Abu Dhabi closes a run of three race weekends in a row: the Saturday night Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21, the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday morning, November 29, and then the finale on December 6. The full schedule lists every race in Eastern and Pacific time.
The finale is a good excuse to gather. Browse your city’s listings, then confirm the venue opens early and is showing the race before heading out.
Find your race-day grid →