F1 start time: What time does Japanese GP qualifying start? How to watch and live stream

Here is all the F1 start time information that you need to know for Japanese GP qualifying at Suzuka, Round 3 of the F1 2025 season.

From snaking around the iconic Esses to throwing their cars into Spoon Curve and 130R, Suzuka makes for one of the most exciting qualifying laps of the season, so make sure you don’t miss the Saturday action from Japan.

What time does Japanese GP qualifying start?

Japanese Grand Prix qualifying will take place from 3pm local time on Saturday 5 April 2025, which equates to this start time in the following territories:

United States and Canada*: 11pm Pacific [Friday], 1am Central, 2am Eastern
Mexico: 12am
United Kingdom: 7am
Central European Time**: 8am
South Africa: 8am
Gulf Standard Time: 10am
India: 11.30am
Indonesia*: 1pm [Western Indonesia Time]
China: 2pm
Singapore: 2pm
Malaysia: 2pm
Philippines: 2pm
Japan: 3pm
Australia*: 5pm [Australian Eastern Daylight Time]
New Zealand: 7pm

*Convert to check locally if you do not live in an area of this territory with these time zones.

**Covers 30 nations and territories: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (except the Canary Islands), Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City.

How to watch Japanese GP qualifying on TV

Viewers in the UK can stream every F1 race live with a Sky Sports subscription or a NOW Sports Month Membership. With NOW TV, there is no contract in place and you can cancel any time!

Different nations and territories around the world have their own broadcasting rights deals with Formula 1, and here is a selection of where F1 fans will be able to watch from across the globe, be it through pay TV or free-to-air:

Argentina: Fox Sports
Australia: Fox Sports
Brazil: BandSports, TV Bandeirantes
Canada: RDS (French), TSN (English)
Central Asia: Setanta Sports
China: CCTV
France: Canal+
Germany: Sky Sport F1
India: FanCode
Italy: Sky Sport F1
Japan: DAZN, Fuji TV
Latin America (except Argentina and Mexico): ESPN
Malaysia: beIN Sports
Mexico: Fox Sports
Middle East and North Africa: beIN Sports
Netherlands: Viaplay
New Zealand: Sky Sport, Prime (highlights)
Pakistan: A Sports
Republic of Ireland: Sky Sports F1, Channel 4 UK (highlights)
South Korea: Coupang Play
Spain: DAZN
Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
United Kingdom: Sky Sports F1, Channel 4 (highlights)
United States: ESPN, ESPN Deportes

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How to live stream Japanese GP qualifying

F1 fans will be able to stream Japanese Grand Prix qualifying through platforms such as NOW and Sky Go in the UK.

F1 TV Pro is also available around the globe in selected territories, which offers exclusive features like onboard cameras from all 20 cars, pre and post-race shows and much more.

F1 TV Pro is also able to be live streamed via Apple TV, Chromecast Generation 2 and above, Android TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku, without ad breaks and with commentary available in six languages.

Here is a list of all the territories where F1 TV Pro is available.

What is the F1 qualifying format used and how does it work?

F1 qualifying is broken down into three parts over the course of an hour and uses a knockout format to determine the grid, which has proven extremely popular since it was introduced into the sport:

Q1: 18 minutes

Five drivers are eliminated at the end of this session, setting places 16 to 20 on the grid, with drivers able to set as many timed laps as they wish within the 18-minute period.

Q2: 15 minutes

After an eight-minute break, the remaining 15 cars go out for another session before another five drop out at the end of Q2, setting places 11-15 on the grid. The same rules apply, with drivers allowed to set as many timed laps as they like within 15 minutes.

Q3: 12 minutes

After a seven-minute gap, the final 10 cars re-emerge onto the track for the shootout for pole position. At the end of the final 12-minute session, the top 10 places on the grid are decided for the Grand Prix.

For a full look at the intricacies and other rules around F1 qualifying, here is a full breakdown of the current format.

Read next: F1 start time: What time does the Japanese Grand Prix start? How to watch and live stream