2026 Formula 1 · Round 5 · Sprint weekend
Canadian Grand Prix 2026: what channel is it on, start time and how to stream
Dash Marchetti · Race weekend desk
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Montreal is a low-downforce sprint along the Île Notre-Dame, and it ends with the most famous concrete wall in the sport.
The Canadian GP has finished. Replays are on F1 TV Pro, and on Apple TV in the US.
What channel is the Canadian 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 Canadian GP start?
Lights out is 8:00 PM UTC on Sunday, May 24, 2026 — that is 8:00 PM UTC where you are. Broadcasters start their build-up show roughly half an hour earlier.
| City | Race starts |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Sun, May 24 · 1:00 PM |
| New York | Sun, May 24 · 4:00 PM |
| São Paulo | Sun, May 24 · 5:00 PM |
| London | Sun, May 24 · 9:00 PM |
| Paris, Berlin, Rome | Sun, May 24 · 10:00 PM |
| Dubai | Mon, May 25 · 12:00 AM |
| New Delhi | Mon, May 25 · 1:30 AM |
| Singapore | Mon, May 25 · 4:00 AM |
| Tokyo | Mon, May 25 · 5:00 AM |
| Sydney | Mon, May 25 · 6:00 AM |
How to stream the Canadian 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.
Canadian Grand Prix weekend schedule
Every session in UTC and converted to your own timezone. This is a sprint weekend: one practice session, then sprint qualifying sets the sprint grid before regular qualifying sets the Sunday grid.
| Session | Date | Start (UTC) | Your time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri, May 22 | 4:30 PM | 4:30 PM UTC | Finished |
| Sprint Qualifying | Fri, May 22 | 8:30 PM | 8:30 PM UTC | Finished |
| Sprint | Sat, May 23 | 4:00 PM | 4:00 PM UTC | Finished |
| Qualifying | Sat, May 23 | 8:00 PM | 8:00 PM UTC | Finished |
| Race | Sun, May 24 | 8:00 PM | 8:00 PM UTC | Finished |
Can you watch the Canadian 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 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Wall of Champions at the final chicane has caught out world champions by name, which is how it got called that. Long straights and heavy braking zones make this a genuine overtaking track, and the safety car turns up often enough that strategy is rarely settled before the last stint. Weather off the St Lawrence can change inside a lap.
The Canadian Grand Prix is round 5 of the 2026 championship, run on a 4.4 km low-downforce lap of straights and chicanes on the Île Notre-Dame, ending at the Wall of Champions. The race distance is 70 laps, roughly 305.3 km.
Waiting for lights out? Play today’s F1 grid
SpeedGrids is a free daily Formula 1 trivia grid — nine cells, two clues each, name a driver who matches both. New board every day, no account needed.
Canadian GP: quick answers
- What channel is the Canadian 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 Canadian Grand Prix start?
- Lights out is 8:00 PM UTC on Sunday, May 24, 2026 — Sun, May 24 · 4:00 PM in New York, Sun, May 24 · 9:00 PM in London and Mon, May 25 · 6:00 AM in Sydney.
- Can I watch the Canadian 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.
- Is the Canadian Grand Prix a sprint weekend?
- Yes. The weekend runs one practice session, sprint qualifying, the sprint race, then regular qualifying and the Grand Prix. Points are awarded in both races.