2026 Formula 1 · Round 8
Austrian Grand Prix 2026: what channel is it on, start time and how to stream
Dash Marchetti · Race weekend desk
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The Red Bull Ring packs a full Grand Prix into barely more than a minute of lap time, on a circuit that is mostly straights and heavy braking.
The Austrian GP has finished. Replays are on F1 TV Pro, and on Apple TV in the US.
What channel is the Austrian GP on?
It depends where you are. In the United States every session is on Apple TV — the rights moved from ESPN ahead of the 2026 season, so it is no longer on cable. In the United Kingdom it is Sky Sports F1, with free highlights on Channel 4. Canada has TSN and RDS; Australia has Fox Sports and Kayo.
| Where you are | Live TV | Streaming | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Apple TV (exclusive — every practice, qualifying, sprint and race) | Apple TV app on smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, consoles, iOS, Android, or tv.apple.com in any browser | Apple TV free trial for new subscribers; practice sessions stream free in the Apple TV app |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports F1 (every session live) | Sky Go, NOW Sports Membership, Virgin Media | Channel 4 shows extended highlights of every race, plus the British Grand Prix live in full |
| Canada | TSN (English) and RDS (French) | TSN+, RDS Direct, F1 TV Pro | No free live option |
| Australia | Fox Sports and Kayo Sports (every session live) | Kayo Sports on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast and smart TVs | Network 10 carries the Australian Grand Prix free-to-air under anti-siphoning rules |
| Ireland | Sky Sports F1 | Sky Go, NOW | Channel 4 highlights are available in most of Ireland |
| Most other countries | A local rights holder in each market — check your listings | F1 TV Pro streams every session live in 180+ countries (not available in the UK; in the US it is bundled with Apple TV as F1 TV Premium) | No free live option |
Listings checked Sunday, August 30, 2026. Broadcast rights change between seasons and vary by region — confirm with your provider before the session starts.
What time does the Austrian GP start?
Lights out is 1:00 PM UTC on Sunday, June 28, 2026 — that is 1:00 PM UTC where you are. Broadcasters start their build-up show roughly half an hour earlier.
| City | Race starts |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Sun, Jun 28 · 6:00 AM |
| New York | Sun, Jun 28 · 9:00 AM |
| São Paulo | Sun, Jun 28 · 10:00 AM |
| London | Sun, Jun 28 · 2:00 PM |
| Paris, Berlin, Rome | Sun, Jun 28 · 3:00 PM |
| Dubai | Sun, Jun 28 · 5:00 PM |
| New Delhi | Sun, Jun 28 · 6:30 PM |
| Singapore | Sun, Jun 28 · 9:00 PM |
| Tokyo | Sun, Jun 28 · 10:00 PM |
| Sydney | Sun, Jun 28 · 11:00 PM |
How to stream the Austrian GP live
No cable needed anywhere. US viewers use the Apple TV app, which runs on smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, consoles, phones and any web browser — and includes F1 TV Premium at no extra cost. UK viewers can stream Sky Sports F1 through a NOW Sports Membership with no contract. In Canada, TSN+ is sold standalone. Elsewhere, F1 TV Pro streams every session live in more than 180 countries.
Austrian Grand Prix weekend schedule
Every session in UTC and converted to your own timezone. Standard format: three practice sessions, qualifying on Saturday, the Grand Prix on Sunday.
| Session | Date | Start (UTC) | Your time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri, Jun 26 | 11:30 AM | 11:30 AM UTC | Finished |
| Practice 2 | Fri, Jun 26 | 3:00 PM | 3:00 PM UTC | Finished |
| Practice 3 | Sat, Jun 27 | 10:30 AM | 10:30 AM UTC | Finished |
| Qualifying | Sat, Jun 27 | 2:00 PM | 2:00 PM UTC | Finished |
| Race | Sun, Jun 28 | 1:00 PM | 1:00 PM UTC | Finished |
Can you watch the Austrian GP free?
- US — practice streams free in the Apple TV app, and a new-subscriber free trial covers a full race weekend.
- UK — Channel 4 airs extended highlights of every race free-to-air, and the British Grand Prix live in full.
- Australia — Network 10 carries the Australian Grand Prix free-to-air.
- Anywhere — official highlights land on Formula 1’s YouTube channel a few hours after each session.
Unofficial streams are unreliable, usually illegal and a common malware vector. Everything listed here is a licensed broadcaster.
What to watch for at Red Bull Ring
The shortest lap of the season means the field is compressed into a few tenths and traffic in qualifying becomes a genuine problem. Three DRS zones make for repeated position changes. Track limits at the exit of the final corners have decided the result here more than once, so expect the timing screens to keep changing after the flag.
The Austrian Grand Prix is round 8 of the 2026 championship, run on a 4.3 km lap in the Styrian hills, the shortest on the calendar, built from steep climbs, hard braking and three DRS zones. The race distance is 71 laps, roughly 307 km.
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Austrian GP: quick answers
- What channel is the Austrian Grand Prix on?
- In the United States, Apple TV (exclusive — every practice, qualifying, sprint and race). In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports F1 (every session live). In Canada it is TSN and RDS, in Australia Fox Sports and Kayo, and in most other countries F1 TV Pro carries every session live alongside the local broadcaster.
- What time does the Austrian Grand Prix start?
- Lights out is 1:00 PM UTC on Sunday, June 28, 2026 — Sun, Jun 28 · 9:00 AM in New York, Sun, Jun 28 · 2:00 PM in London and Sun, Jun 28 · 11:00 PM in Sydney.
- Can I watch the Austrian Grand Prix for free?
- In the US, practice streams free in the Apple TV app and new subscribers get a free trial. In the UK, Channel 4 shows extended race highlights free-to-air. In Australia, Network 10 carries the Australian Grand Prix free. Official highlights go up on Formula 1's YouTube channel after every session.
- How many laps is the Austrian Grand Prix?
- The race is scheduled for 71 laps of Red Bull Ring, about 307 km in total.