The brand new F1 season continues in earnest this weekend, as the driving stars and their stunning cars arrive in China for Grand Prix No.2 of a long and enthralling 24-race schedule. The Shanghai International Circuit is once again the venue, with the main race getting underway at 7 am (GMT) on Sunday, March 23.
Lando Norris will be aiming to build on the perfect start he made to the new season in Melbourne last weekend. The McLaren driver who has his sights set on a maiden drivers’ championship title this year, held his nerve in dangerous, changing conditions during a dramatic, incident-packed race at Albert Park, to hold off a threatening Max Verstappen and win the Australian Grand Prix.
Britain’s George Russell will also be pleased with the start he made to the campaign, finishing third in Melbourne, just ahead of his Mercedes teammate and F1 rookie, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. It wasn’t such a bright beginning for Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari. The 7-time F1 world champion picked up a single championship point with his 10th place effort. His fellow red machine merchant, Charles Leclerc, didn’t fare much better, just two spots further up the board in 8th.
Hamilton is hoping his fortunes improve at a Shanghai circuit where he has excelled in the past. The Stevenage speedster has finished on top of the podium six times in the past in China. That’s four victories clear of the other two previous multiple winners in Shanghai, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg. You have to go back to 2013 though, for the last time a Ferrari driver (Alonso) took the chequered flag in China.
Let GOAL show you all the information you need for the Chinese Grand Prix 2025, including the full weekend schedule and where you can watch the race and all the sessions live, including practice, sprint qualifying and qualifying.
How to watch the Chinese Grand Prix 2025
Getty ImagesThe Chinese Grand Prix will be available to watch live and exclusively on Sky Sports F1 (and Main Event) in the UK, like all F1 race weekends will be this year. Sky Sports coverage includes not only the main race itself, which gets underway from 7 am (GMT) on Sunday, March 23, but also additional coverage of practice sessions, sprint qualifying and qualifying periods across the entire weekend, offering round-the-clock coverage from Friday through to Sunday.
If you're an existing Sky customer, you can add Sky Sports online or through the My Sky app at any time. The package starts from £20 per month with Sky Stream. Sky Sports+ is included at no extra cost, which allows the viewer to watch many more live events across a range of sports. The Sky Sports app allows subscribers to download and watch live sports on the go and is available on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Where is the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 held?
Getty ImagesThe F1 Chinese Grand Prix has been held at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai every year since its inception in 2004, with the exception of the period 2020-2023, when the races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The circuit is located in the Jiading District of Shanghai and as well as hosting the F1 Grand Prix, it's also now the venue for the Shanghai ePrix, numerous domestic car racing events and a world-class outdoor go-karting track. The main grandstand which features wing-like viewing platforms crossing the circuit at either end, can hold 30,000 spectators, which is almost a quarter of the total circuit capacity of 200,000.
Chinese Grand Prix 2025 Weekend Schedule
The Chinese Grand Prix 2025 runs over the full weekend, from Friday, March 21, through Sunday, March 23. Practice, sprint qualifying, qualifying and the race itself are spread out over three days.
Below, you can find the timings for all the sessions; practice, sprint qualifying, qualifying, and the Grand Prix, as well as which channel to watch them on:
Date | Session | Time (GMT) | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
Friday, March 21 | Practice 1 | 3:30 am | |
Friday, March 21 | Sprint Qualifying | 7:30 am | |
Saturday, March 22 | Sprint | 3 am | |
Saturday, March 22 | Qualifying | 7 am | |
Sunday, March 23 | Grand Prix | 7 am |
Can I watch the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 on F1 TV?
Getty ImagesF1 TV is the over-the-top streaming package operated by Formula One Management (FOM), the provider of the world feed for F1 broadcasts throughout each season. The service offers commercial-free coverage of all races as part of a single package. Due to rights deals, F1 TV is limited to the countries it is allowed to operate in. The service is unavailable in the United Kingdom, meaning fans hoping to use it would need a VPN to access it and watch the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.
However, you can still purchase F1 TV in the UK to access bonus content, such as live timing, map and leaderboard features, as well as access to team radios and other statistics. You can also view pre- and post-race shows with in-depth analysis and behind-the-scenes facts.
Can I watch the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 on demand?
Getty ImagesIf you have a Sky Sports F1 subscription, you can watch a re-run of the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix on demand after the race has finished through the channel’s digital and online options. The Sky Go app, for mobile devices and personal tablets, will allow viewers to watch the race in full, while those with a Sky+ subscription will also be able to record the game and catch it retroactively. Additionally, those with NOW TV can draw upon the Sky Sports F1 coverage too effectively. However, their ability to access on-demand replay broadcasts will be limited due to the nature of the package.
How to watch the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 from anywhere with a VPN
You may need a different way to watch the race if you cannot view the Chinese Grand Prix locally. That's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on race day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're travelling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network. You want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. With a VPN, you can virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to Grand Prix.
We highly recommend using NordVPN, but you can also check out our detailed VPN guide for other options.
