Alright, so I got really into the whole F1 thing this year, and you know what? That Las Vegas Grand Prix was on my bucket list. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see those cars zipping around under the Vegas lights? So, I started looking into how I could catch the race, and let me tell you, it wasn’t as easy as just flipping on the TV.
First off, I checked the dates. The race was scheduled for a Sunday, November 24th, if I remember correctly. I had to make a note of that because apparently, this year’s schedule is kinda late at night. Then I saw that for folks in the UK, they had to tune in at like 6 a.m. to see it! Good thing I’m not over there.
Then came the whole channel hunting. I knew ESPN was involved somehow. After a bit of digging around, I found out that most of the races, 16 to be exact, are shown on ESPN+ this year. Good thing I already had that. But apparently, you can also catch it on regular ESPN and ESPN2, also ABC.
Here’s what I figured out about where to watch it:
- ESPN+: This seemed like the main spot, especially since I wanted to see all the F1 races, not just Vegas.
- ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC: I guess these are good options if you don’t have ESPN+.
- Hulu Live TV Bundle: Now, I didn’t go this route, but I saw some folks mentioning it. It’s got all the ESPN channels, so that makes sense.
So, after sorting out the where I started thinking about the when. The schedule for the whole weekend was a little unusual, I guess because of the Vegas time zone. They had all these practice and qualifying sessions leading up to the main event on Sunday.
The Schedule
I recall seeing something like this, but don’t quote me on it:
- Practice rounds – These were spread out over the few days before.
- Qualifying – This was probably the day before the race, setting the starting order.
- Race Day – Sunday was the big day, obviously.
I did all this planning, you know, checking the schedule, figuring out the channels, making sure I had the right subscriptions. Because I really wanted to watch the race. There are only 3 races left this season. Max is currently at the top of the rankings. I heard the race track is built on the Las Vegas Strip. I also heard that if you want to have a good view, choose a seat near a turn. If you want to see a lot of action, find a seat near Aria.
It was a bit of a hassle, not gonna lie. But totally worth it to see those cars and drivers in action. The atmosphere, even through the screen, felt electric. I heard that although there will be competition, there will also be respect. So, yeah, that’s how I ended up watching the Las Vegas F1 race. It was a bit of a process, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right? And let me tell you, seeing it all unfold, it was definitely a highlight of my year.
