Bahrain Grand Prix 2021: Where to Watch, Schedule & Start Time for Practice Session

This weekend, the Formula One season is back for the first time in 2021. As always, the Bahrain Grand Prix race weekend begins on Friday with practice. The first practice session begins at 2:30 PM local time and runs for an hour, as opposed to a 90-minute session. Later on at 6:00 PM, the second practice session will get underway, which will be another hour-long session.

The race weekend continues on Saturday with the final practice session at 3:00 PM local time. Once again, this session only lasts for one hour and will be the last practice before qualifying at 6:00 PM. In 2021, all 20 drivers will start on a fresh, clean slate and will be ready for the new campaign.

Where to watch the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix?

As always, Sky Sports F1 holds the exclusive rights to broadcast the race. Meanwhile, Channel 4 has the rights to broadcast highlights of the practice, qualifying, and race sessions. This means that Sky F1 viewers in the UK can watch the practice sessions live, along with qualifying and the race. Meanwhile, Channel 4 subscribers will have to settle for highlights.

Without a doubt, the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix will be exciting. Since this is the first race of the season, nobody knows how the pecking order will arrange itself. For obvious reasons, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will be the favorites, as they have been utterly dominant in the past seven years.

However, Red Bull will be right on their tail, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez on the charge. The Austrian team has already performed reasonably well in pre-season testing. However, many suspect that Mercedes has not shown its true pace yet. Of course, one can only hope that someone can put a stop to Mercedes’ dominance.

So, the big question is, will Red Bull be that team or will it be someone else?

READ MORE: F1 Schedule: Where to Watch and What Time Is the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix?