The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid is the 16th round of the Formula 1 championship and will be held on the Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September at the new Madring circuit in Madrid.
2026 Spanish GP dates
The Spanish Grand Prix has a new home from 2026 onwards. It’s no longer held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, instead it moves to the new Madring street circuit in Madrid.
The Spanis Grand Prix weekend starts on Friday the 11th September and finishes on Sunday 13th September.
Madring Grand Prix race weekend format
The 2026 Spanish GP will have the usual format of three practice sessions, qualifying session and then the full grand prix. There is no sprint race.
Below is the format and duration of the different F1 sessions during the race weekend:
Friday 11th September:
- Practice 1 (60 mins)
- Practice 2 (60 mins)
Saturday 12th September:
- Practice 3 (60 mins)
- Qualifying – Q1 / Q2 / Q3 (60 mins)
Sunday 13th September:
- Grand Prix (120 mins / 66 laps)
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Spanish Grand Prix Schedule 2026
Below is the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix schedule for all F1 practice, qualifying, sprint and race sessions over the race weekend.
| 2026 Spanish GP Schedule - Madrid | ||
|---|---|---|
| Friday 111th September | Local Time | UK Time |
| Practice 1 | 13:30 - 14:30 | 12:30 - 13:30 |
| Practice 2 | 17:00 - 18:00 | 16:00 - 17:00 |
| Saturday 12th September | ||
| Practice 3 | 12:30 - 13:30 | 11:30 - 12:30 |
| Qualifying | 16:00 - 17:00 | 15:00 - 16:00 |
| Sunday 13th September | ||
| Grand Prix | 15:00 | 14:00 |
2026 Madrid F1 qualifying time
Qualifying will take place on Saturday 12th September at 16:00 (3pm) local circuit time.
Qualifying will be split in to three separate sessions: Q1, Q2 and Q3.
All 20 drivers will take part in Q1. Only the quickest15 of those drivers will progress to Q2. Then, only the 10 fastest drivers from Q2 will move on to the final 10 minute shootout for pole position in Q3.
2026 Spanish GP start time
The Grand Prix will start at 15:00 (2pm) local time on Sunday 13th September.
The Grand Prix will last for a maximum of 120 minutes or 57 laps, whichever is shorter.
What time is the race in my country?
The Spanish GP takes places near Madrid, Spain. This is in the Central European Summer Time (CEST) zone which is UTC+2.
Below are the start times for all F1 sessions over the Formula 1 weekend in a number of other time zones.
| Session | Spain Local Time CEST |
Pacific Time PT |
Central Time CT |
Eastern Time ET |
UK Time BST |
Australian Eastern Time AEST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | 13:30 | 04:30 | 06:30 | 07:30 | 12:30 | 21:30 |
| Practice 2 | 17:00 | 08:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 16:00 | 01:00 +1 |
| Practice 3 | 12:30 | 03:30 | 05:30 | 06:30 | 11:30 | 20:30 |
| Qualifying | 16:00 | 07:00 | 09:00 | 10:00 | 15:00 | 00:00 +1 |
| Race | 15:00 | 06:00 | 08:00 | 09:00 | 14:00 | 23:00 |
What channel is the F1 on?
UK Formula 1 fans will be able to watch footage of the Spanish GP live on the Sky Sports F1 channel, but you will need a paid subscription to do this.
USA viewers will find live coverage on ESPN with a subscription
Pre-race build up usually begins about 60 to 90 minutes before the Spanish Grand Prix begins.
Race highlights will be available for free on Channel 4 in the UK on the evening on Sunday.
Information on international TV coverage and broadcasters of the F1 can be found on the official Formula 1 website.
Detailed motorsport schedule
For 2026 there are two confirmed support races taking place at the Madring:
- FIA Formula 2
- FIA Formula 3
