2026 Formula 1 · Round 14
Spanish Grand Prix 2026: what channel is it on, start time and how to stream
Dash Marchetti · Race weekend desk
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Madrid joins the calendar as a new venue around the IFEMA exhibition grounds, mixing permanent sections with city streets.
The Spanish GP has finished. Replays are on F1 TV Pro, and on Apple TV in the US.
What channel is the Spanish 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 Spanish GP start?
Lights out is 1:00 PM UTC on Sunday, September 13, 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, Sep 13 · 6:00 AM |
| New York | Sun, Sep 13 · 9:00 AM |
| São Paulo | Sun, Sep 13 · 10:00 AM |
| London | Sun, Sep 13 · 2:00 PM |
| Paris, Berlin, Rome | Sun, Sep 13 · 3:00 PM |
| Dubai | Sun, Sep 13 · 5:00 PM |
| New Delhi | Sun, Sep 13 · 6:30 PM |
| Singapore | Sun, Sep 13 · 9:00 PM |
| Tokyo | Sun, Sep 13 · 10:00 PM |
| Sydney | Sun, Sep 13 · 11:00 PM |
How to stream the Spanish 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.
Spanish 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, Sep 11 | 11:30 AM | 11:30 AM UTC | Finished |
| Practice 2 | Fri, Sep 11 | 3:00 PM | 3:00 PM UTC | Finished |
| Practice 3 | Sat, Sep 12 | 10:30 AM | 10:30 AM UTC | Finished |
| Qualifying | Sat, Sep 12 | 2:00 PM | 2:00 PM UTC | Finished |
| Race | Sun, Sep 13 | 1:00 PM | 1:00 PM UTC | Finished |
Can you watch the Spanish 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 Madring
A brand-new circuit means nobody has real data, so Friday practice carries far more weight than usual and the first qualifying session is genuinely unpredictable. The layout includes a banked corner, which is rare in modern F1 and should produce a distinctive braking zone into the following straight. Expect the first running here to look scrappy — new tracks usually do, and that is part of the appeal.
The Spanish Grand Prix is round 14 of the 2026 championship, run on a new part-street, part-permanent circuit around the IFEMA grounds in Madrid, including a banked corner. The race distance is 57 laps, roughly 308.5 km.
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Spanish GP: quick answers
- What channel is the Spanish 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 Spanish Grand Prix start?
- Lights out is 1:00 PM UTC on Sunday, September 13, 2026 — Sun, Sep 13 · 9:00 AM in New York, Sun, Sep 13 · 2:00 PM in London and Sun, Sep 13 · 11:00 PM in Sydney.
- Can I watch the Spanish 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 Spanish Grand Prix?
- The race is scheduled for 57 laps of Madring, about 308.5 km in total.