How to watch the 2024 F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: start time, live stream and TV schedule

Following an action-packed sprint weekend in Miami, F1 has made the 5000-mile trip across the North Atlantic to Imola — home to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

It marks the return to a familiar race weekend schedule, with Sunday’s Grand Prix starting in the early afternoon for European viewers.

It’s worth tuning in early too, as the circuit and broadcasters mark the anniversary of the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola 30 years ago. There will be historic cars on track, and Sky Sports is due to screen a feature where Pierre Gasly drives Senna’s 1984 Toleman.

The race itself is hotly anticipated, as Lando Norris looks to build on his debut F1 win in Miami with another challenge to Red Bull. Norris has run well at Imola in the past, previously bagging back-to-back podiums here in 2021 and 2022, but it remains to be seen whether Red Bull’s dominant form will return on the Italian circuit’s tight and twisted ribbon of tarmac.

Situated just 55 miles from its Maranello factory, Ferrari is also expected to be a front-running contender at its home grand prix, with a planned upgrade and home support from grandstands of tifosi expected to create a fever-pitch atmosphere.

In short, grand prix racing in Imola is an event that has been throughly missed after last year’s cancellation due to flooding. With clear skies forecast in 2024, racing action is set to return.

 

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix live stream and TV schedule 

All times in BST

	F1 qualifying	Emilia Romagna GP
Session start time	3pm	2pm
Live coverage Sky Sports, Sky Go, NowTV	2.10pm	12.30pm
Highlights Channel 4	7.30pm	6.30pm

 

How to watch F1: live stream and TV details for 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Each minute of every F1 session will be broadcast live in the UK, for paying subscribers only.

Live TV: All on-track sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 starting with Free Practice 1 starting on Friday at 12.30pm. Subscribers also have access to onboard streams from each of the 20 cars, including radio messages, allowing them to follow a favourite driver on their phone while watching the main feed on TV. The onboard streams are also available on TV, as is a ‘Battle Channel’ offering split-screen coverage of the best fights for position.

Live stream: Sky Sports F1 subscribers in the UK can watch all the running live on the Sky Go app. Now TV subscribers can also see live coverage of every session via Sky Sports F1. It also offers onboard views of each driver through in-app bonus streams for monthly subscribers. These can be viewed concurrently with the main stream on a separate screen.

Live timings are available through the F1 app.

Highlights: Channel 4 will show highlights of the weekend, with action from qualifying and the Grand Prix available to watch on the corresponding days of each event.

 

Imola circuit and details

Imola’s historic layout takes drivers up steep hills and down sheer valleys, which looks spectacular but doesn’t always make for thrilling racing.

Making its official F1 debut in 1980 as a temporary Italian Grand Prix replacement for Monza after the death of Ronnie Peterson in 1978, Imola became an instant sensation with grand prix drivers who thoroughly enjoyed the white-knuckle ride the circuit provided. It became a regular feature until 2006, hosting the “San Marino Grand Prix”. In that time, the circuit took on a few different forms but the most significant changes were made in 1994, following the deaths of Senna and Ratzenberger. A chicane was added to slow down the ultra-fast Tamburello corner, and another at the right-hand Villeneuve kink.

After a 14-year absence, the circuit was returned to the F1 calendar in 2020. Despite the DRS-assisted home straight, the 19-turn circuit doesn’t make it easy for modern cars to pass.

Its narrow nature, with it being just 14m at its widest point, means that wheel-to-wheel clashes are a common sight — especially at the start. In 2022, Carlos Sainz was punted off the circuit after colliding with Daniel Ricciardo as both cars were squeezed together as they attempted to make Turn 6.

Other opportunities to overtake come at the Turn 7 hairpin, which often invites drivers to dive down the inside of the car ahead if they can get a good exit out of Sector 1. Sneaking down the inside at Turn 17 is also a last-gasp option, but teams will often advise their drivers to hold back, as remaining behind can allow them to gain a DRS-advantage down the home straight — making for a much simpler pass.

2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix full session times

All times in BST

	Friday 17 May	Saturday 18 May	Sunday 19 May
F1	Free Practice 1 — 12.30pm Free Practice 2 — 4pm	Free Practice 3 — 11.30pm GP Qualifying — 3pm	Emilia Romagna GP — 2pm