Your complete guide to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 start time, plus full TV schedule for race weekend, including practice, qualifying and the GP itself.

By Michael Potts

Published: Wednesday, 15 March 2023 at 12:00 am


The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix returns with blistering pace set to determine the order around the uber-quick Jeddah track this weekend.

Max Verstappen enjoyed a leisurely Sunday drive to claim his first victory of the season in Bahrain on the opening weekend.

Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez cruised in behind him without any issue, leaving the rest of the grid to battle for crumbs.

Mercedes and Ferrari failed to mount any kind of challenge to the Red Bulls, and appear to have been caught by Aston Martin, forming a wider chasing pack.

Fernando Alonso claimed a podium place in Bahrain and will be determined to make sure it is the first of many.

RadioTimes.com brings you the complete guide to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023, including start time, dates and TV details, as well as our analysis of the big storylines to come.

Check out more Formula 1 coverage: F1 calendar 2023 | How to watch F1 on TV | F1 beginner’s guide | F1 highlights | F1 presenters | F1 on Channel 4

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix date

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 19th March.

Check out our F1 calendar 2023 – link above – for the full list of races throughout the season.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix start time

The race begins promptly at 5pm UK time.

We’ve included the full schedule for the rest of the weekend, including practice and qualifying times, below.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix practice time

All UK time.

Friday 17th March

From 1pm on Sky Sports F1

Practice 1 – 1:30pm

Practice 2 – 5pm

Saturday 18th March

From 1:15pm on Sky Sports F1

Practice 3 – 1:30pm

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying time

Saturday 18th March

From 4pm on Sky Sports F1

Qualifying – 5pm

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix race time

Sunday 19th March

From 3:30pm on Sky Sports F1

Race – 5pm

How to watch the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on TV

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will air live on Sky Sports F1 from 3:30pm on Sunday 19th March.

All races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event throughout the season.

Sky customers can add individual channels for just £18 per month or add the complete sports package to their deal for just £25 per month.

You can check out Box.co.uk for the latest TV deals to watch F1 in style throughout the season.

Live stream Saudi Arabian Grand Prix online

Existing Sky Sports customers can live stream the race via the Sky Go app on a variety of devices.

You can watch the Grand Prix with a NOW Day Membership for £11.98 or a Monthly Membership for £33.99, all without signing up to a contract.

NOW can be streamed through a computer or apps found on most smart TVs, phones and consoles. NOW is also available via BT Sport.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 preview

1. Unstoppable Red Bull?

Red Bull could not have enjoyed a more smooth opening weekend.

They didn’t miss a beat in testing, they didn’t miss a beat throughout practice and qualifying in Bahrain, they didn’t miss a beat during the race itself.

Verstappen finished 12 seconds ahead of Perez, Perez finished 38 seconds ahead of the rest. How can anyone bridge that gap under normal race circumstances?

2. Can Aston Martin show consistency?

Fernando Alonso delivered a tangible, fantastic result to cap off a positive off-season for Aston Martin as he finished on the podium.

Lance Stroll finished sixth, level with his best finish in 2022 after just one race, proving a dramatic performance upturn for the team.

Aston Martin’s task is now clear: do it again. All eyes will be on Alonso and Stroll to see if they can string together a reel of stellar results.

3. Fast circuit drama?

The Jeddah track is fast. Very, very fast. It is one of the longest and fastest, and one of the most merciless to boot.

Not only will cars skim around the circuit at average speeds of 250km/h, but they will do so enclosed by tight walls. At the anticipated speeds, one slip, one wobble, is likely to be enough to end in disaster.