In the US, the Qatar Grand Prix streams on Apple TV, which holds exclusive US rights to Formula 1 from 2026. The race is Sunday, November 29 at 11 AM Eastern, 8 AM Pacific, on Thanksgiving weekend, so most fans watch at home or at a bar that opens 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. Qatar is a morning weekend for US fans. Practice 1 starts at 5:30 AM on the West Coast on the Friday after Thanksgiving, qualifying is Saturday at 1 PM Eastern, 10 AM Pacific, and the race is Sunday at 11 AM Eastern, 8 AM Pacific. Formula 1 can change session times, so check again on race week.
| Session | Eastern (ET) | Central (CT) | Mountain (MT) | Pacific (PT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri Nov 27, 8:30 AM | Fri Nov 27, 7:30 AM | Fri Nov 27, 6:30 AM | Fri Nov 27, 5:30 AM |
| Practice 2 | Fri Nov 27, 12 PM | Fri Nov 27, 11 AM | Fri Nov 27, 10 AM | Fri Nov 27, 9 AM |
| Practice 3 | Sat Nov 28, 9:30 AM | Sat Nov 28, 8:30 AM | Sat Nov 28, 7:30 AM | Sat Nov 28, 6:30 AM |
| Qualifying | Sat Nov 28, 1 PM | Sat Nov 28, 12 PM | Sat Nov 28, 11 AM | Sat Nov 28, 10 AM |
| Race | Sun Nov 29, 11 AM | Sun Nov 29, 10 AM | Sun Nov 29, 9 AM | Sun Nov 29, 8 AM |
Why a morning race: Qatar is a night race, with lights out at 7 PM local time at the Lusail International Circuit, and Qatar is eight hours ahead of US Eastern time in late November. Source: the 2026 calendar data from the Jolpica F1 API (race start 16:00 UTC), as published on the WatchF1 schedule.
Need UK time? See the Qatar Grand Prix 2026 start times page.
At home. Most US fans will watch this one 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. If you are spending the holiday at a relative's house, check that the screen there has the Apple TV app and that you can sign in on it before Sunday.
Hosting the crew. An 11 AM Eastern start is brunch time, which makes it an easy race to host for family and friends who are already in town for Thanksgiving. 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. Many bars do not normally open on a Sunday morning, and holiday weekend hours can differ from usual, so treat any listing as a starting point. Start with our guides for New York, Boston, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago, 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.
1. Sign in before the holiday. If you are watching on someone else's TV, install the Apple TV app and sign in on Saturday, during or before qualifying, so you are not entering passwords at lights out.
2. Use your time zone column. If you travel for Thanksgiving, read the column for where you will be on Sunday, not where you live. The race is 11 AM Eastern, 10 AM Central, 9 AM Mountain and 8 AM Pacific.
3. Catch Friday practice. Practice 1 and Practice 2 fall on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Apple makes all practice sessions available without a subscription, so this is an easy weekend to watch practice live.
4. Call the bar first. If you plan to watch out, call ahead and ask three things: are you open before the race, will the race be on a main screen, and will the sound be on. Holiday weekend hours can differ from usual.
5. Plan for Abu Dhabi too. The season finale is one week later and starts even earlier. See where to watch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix or the races left in 2026.
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, November 29, 2026 at 11 AM Eastern, 8 AM Pacific. Qualifying is Saturday, November 28 at 1 PM Eastern, 10 AM Pacific. Practice 1 is Friday, November 27 at 8:30 AM Eastern, 5:30 AM Pacific.
WatchF1's city guides list bars that show F1 across the US. The race is on a Sunday morning, 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. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026, so practice runs on the Friday after Thanksgiving, qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday morning in the US.
The race starts Sunday, November 29, 2026 at 10 AM Central and 9 AM Mountain. Qualifying is Saturday, November 28 at 12 PM Central and 11 AM Mountain. Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year, so Phoenix matches the Mountain time.
The Qatar Grand Prix is a night race. Lights out is 7 PM local time at the Lusail International Circuit, and Qatar is eight hours ahead of US Eastern time in late November, so the race lands at 11 AM Eastern and 8 AM Pacific.
Apple makes all practice sessions and selected race weekends available without an Apple TV subscription. Practice 1 and Practice 2 run on Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and Practice 3 runs on Saturday morning. Check Apple's official F1 viewing guide for what is free this weekend.
The season ends a week later with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, December 6, an even earlier start at 8 AM Eastern, 5 AM Pacific. One week before Qatar is the Saturday night Las Vegas Grand Prix. The full schedule lists every race in Eastern and Pacific time.
A late-morning start in the East is good timing for a watch party. Browse your city’s listings, then confirm the venue opens early and is showing the race before heading out.
Find your race-day grid →