How to watch F1 Japanese Grand Prix in Australia: Race start time for Suzuka

Joshua Mayne

How to watch F1 Japanese Grand Prix in Australia: Race start time for Suzuka  image

Formula 1 has returned to Suzuka this weekend for another edition of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen mathematically won't be able to secure the drivers' championship this round but will be starting from pole position as he looks to move one step closer to the title.

Aussie driver Oscar Piastri achieved a career-best result in qualifying and will start on the front row on Sunday ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

The Sporting News has all the key details and timings for the Japanese Grand Prix below.

LIVE BLOG: F1 Japanese Grand Prix

 

F1 Japanese Grand Prix: Race start time in Australia

With Japan one hour behind the east coast of Australia, the race will begin at 3:00 pm AEST on Sunday, September 24 — a rare afternoon timeslot for Aussie fans to enjoy.

Drivers will complete 53 laps around the Suzuka International Racing Course.

Verstappen enters the race as the strong favourite, but McLaren — who have their two drivers in P2 and P3 — will be aiming to apply all the pressure they can.

Will Daniel Ricciardo race for AlphaTauri in Japan?

AlphaTauri driver Ricciardo suffered a hand injury following a crash in practice at Zandvoort, with hospital results showing he had broken a metacarpal in his left hand.

He has since had surgery and missed the Italian and Singapore Grands Prix.

MORE: Ricciardo and Tsunoda to race for AlphaTauri in 2024

The Australian is also skipping the race in Japan due to the tight turnaround, with his team confirming his return is still "a while away". 

Reserve driver and Red Bull junior Liam Lawson is continuing as his replacement in the meantime.

F1 Japanese Grand Prix: Full weekend schedule, times 

A full breakdown of the 2023 F1 Japanese Grand Prix weekend schedule is below (all times in AEST):

Session Date Start time Approx. finish
Practice 1 Fri. Sep. 22 12:30 pm 1:30 pm
Practice 2 Fri. Sep. 22 4:00 pm 5:00 pm
Practice 3 Sat. Sep. 23 12:30 pm 1:30 pm
Qualifying Sat. Sep. 23 4:00 pm 5:00 pm
Race Sun. Sep. 24 3:00 pm 4:45 pm

How to watch the F1 Japanese Grand Prix in Australia on TV

Fans based Down Under can catch all the action from Suzuka on Fox Sports (Channel 506).

Coverage begins one hour before lights out at 2:00 pm AEST. 

How to live stream the F1 Japanese Grand Prix in Australia

The Japanese Grand Prix can be streamed in Australia on Kayo Sports or Foxtel Go.

Joshua Mayne

Joshua Mayne Photo

Joshua Mayne is a content producer for The Sporting News currently based in Manchester, England. He has previously worked as a newsreader at 2SER and journalist at Ministry of Sport. Joshua specialises in rugby league, motorsport and tennis. He is still waiting for Arsenal to win the Premier League again.