Dutch GP qualifying: When it starts and how to watch from wherever you are
Zandvoort doesn’t so much host qualifying as it dares drivers to throw the car in and hang on. The banking, the wind off the dunes, the Orange Army’s roar — it all turns up to 11 on Saturday. If you’re tuning in for the shootout, here’s when the clock starts and how to watch.
When does Dutch GP qualifying start?
The session goes green at 15:00 local time on Saturday, 30 August 2025. That translates to:
– United States/Canada: 06:00 Pacific, 09:00 Eastern
– Mexico (Mexico City): 07:00
– United Kingdom: 14:00
– Central Europe/South Africa: 15:00
– Gulf Standard Time: 17:00
– India: 18:30
– Indonesia (WIB): 20:00
– China: 21:00
– Japan: 22:00
– Australia (AEST): 23:00
– New Zealand (NZST): 01:00 on Sunday, 31 August
Note: If your region spans multiple time zones, double-check your local listing.
How to watch on TV
Rights vary by territory. A snapshot of who’s showing Zandvoort qualifying live or with highlights:
– United Kingdom: Sky Sports F1 (live), Channel 4 (highlights)
– Republic of Ireland: Sky Sports F1 (live), Channel 4 UK (highlights)
– Netherlands: Viaplay (live), NOS
– United States: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
– Canada: TSN (English), RDS (French)
– Australia: Fox Sports
– New Zealand: Sky Sport (live), Prime (highlights)
– Spain: DAZN
– Italy: Sky Sport F1
– France: Canal+
– Germany: Sky Sport F1, RTL
– Brazil: BandSports, TV Bandeirantes
– Mexico: Fox Sports
– Latin America (except Argentina and Mexico): ESPN
– Argentina: Fox Sports
– Japan: DAZN, Fuji TV
– China: CCTV
– India: FanCode
– South Korea: Coupang Play
– Middle East/North Africa: beIN Sports
– Sub‑Saharan Africa: SuperSport
– Central Asia: Setanta Sports
How to stream the Dutch GP
– UK: Sky Go and NOW Sports stream qualifying live for Sky customers or via monthly passes.
– F1 TV Pro: Available in selected regions with onboard feeds from all 20 cars, live timing, multi‑language commentary, and ad‑free coverage. Supports Apple TV, Chromecast (Gen 2+), Android TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. Check availability for your country via Formula 1’s official list: https://www.formula1.com/en/toolbar/content_schedule.html
What to expect from qualifying at Zandvoort
This is one of the year’s pure “commitment” laps. The final sector’s camber rewards aggression; get greedy and you’re in the marbles, get timid and you’re nowhere. It’s also the most partisan stage in F1 — the Verstappen grandstands turn the out‑lap into a football match. However the 2025 form book reads, a tidy banker and a clean cool‑down lap matter more here than most places.
How F1 qualifying works (quick refresher)
– Q1: 18 minutes. All cars run. The slowest five are knocked out (P16–P20).
– Q2: 15 minutes. Remaining 15 cars fight for the top 10. Bottom five eliminated (P11–P15).
– Q3: 12 minutes. The final 10 shoot out for pole and set the front of Sunday’s grid.
Drivers can run multiple laps in each segment, traffic permitting. Expect peak track evolution at Zandvoort, and with its narrow ribbon of tarmac, timing your gap is half the game.
Pro tip for viewers
Because the circuit evolves so rapidly, the final two minutes of each segment are where the order usually flips on its head. If you’re juggling errands, make sure you’re back on the sofa for the end of Q1 and Q2 — and don’t blink in the closing seconds of Q3.
One more thing
If you’re traveling to the track, local access fills up early and the train queues build quickly. For everyone else, line up your stream, brew your coffee (or pour something stronger, depending on your time zone), and enjoy the show from the dunes.
