Shedule for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix held on the Suzuka circuit from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th March.
The timetable below includes practice, qualifying and race start times in the circuit local time and different international time zones for people watching the Formula 1 from other countries.
Contents
F1 Japan race weekend format
The Japanese Grand Prix weekend doesn’t feature a sprint race. Instead it sticks to the traditional Formula 1 race weekend format of three practice sessions, one qualifying session (split in to Q1 / Q2 / Q3) and one race.
Below is the format of all F1 sessions across the F1 Japan race weekend:
Friday 27th March
- First practice session (60 mins)
- Second practice session (60 mins)
Saturday 28th March
- Third practice session (60 mins)
- Qualifying – Q1 / Q2 / Q3 (60 mins)
Sunday 29th March
- Race (53 laps or 120 mins)
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2026 Japanese GP Qualifying time
The 2026 Japanese GP qualiyfing start time is 15:00 local circuit time (Japanese Standard Time) on Saturday 5th April.
Qualifying will be split in to three sessions – Q1, Q2 and Q3. All drivers take part in Q1, the fastest 15 of drivers take part in Q2 and of those 15 only the fastest 10 take part in the final ten minute Q3 shootout for pole position.
The whole of qualifying, made up of the three sessions, lasts for a total of 60 minutes.
2026 F1 Japan race time
The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix will start at 14:00 local circuit time on Sunday 6th April. It will last for either 53 laps or 120 minutes, whichever is shorter.
F1 Japan schedule 2026
Below is the Japanese Grand Prix schedule for the 2026 race weekend held on the Suzuka circuit. This includes all practice sessions, the qualifying time and the race time.
| 2026 F1 Japan Schedule - Suzuka Circuit | ||
|---|---|---|
| Local Time | UK Time | Friday 4th April |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | 02:30 - 03:30 | Formula 1 First Practice Session - FP1 |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | 06:00 - 07:00 | Formula 1 Second Practice Session - FP2 |
| Saturday 5 April | ||
| 11:30 - 12:30 | 02:30 - 03:30 | Formula 1 Third Practice Session - FP3 |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | 06:00 - 07:00 | Formula 1 Qualifying Q1 Q2 Q3 |
| Sunday 6th April | ||
| 14:00 | 06:00 | Formula 1 Grand Prix Race |
What time is the Japanese Grand Prix in my country?
The Japan F1 race time is 14:00 local time, in the Japanese Stand Time (JST) zone, at the Suzuka circuit. Japanese Standard Time is UTC+9.
Below is the Japanese Grand Prix schedule for all F1 practice, qualifying and race sessions at the Suzuka circuit in a number of different time zones.
If the time has a (-1) after it, it means it occurs the day before the local circuit time.
| Session | Suzuka Circuit Japan Local Time JST |
PT | CT | ET | UK Time (GMT/BST) |
Europe (CET/CEST) |
Australia Eastern (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | 11:30 - Fri 27th March | 19:30 (-1) | 21:30 (-1) | 22:30 (-1) | 02:30 | 03:30 | 13:30 |
| Practice 2 | 15:00 - Fri 27th March | 23:00 (-1) | 01:00 | 02:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 | 17:00 |
| Practice 3 | 11:30 - Sat 28th March | 19:30 (-1) | 21:30 (-1) | 22:30 (-1) | 02:30 | 03:30 | 13:30 |
| Qualifying | 15:00 - Sat 28th March | 23:00 (-1) | 01:00 | 02:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 | 17:00 |
| Race | 14:00 - Sun 29th March | 22:00 (-1) | 00:00 | 01:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 | 16:00 |
Where to watch the Japanese GP?
UK viewers will be able to watch live coverage of the Japanese Grand Prix practice, qualifying and race sessions on Sky Sports F1. You will need a paid subscription to do so, however.
US viewers will be able to watch on ESPN with a subscription.
The pre-race build up and coverage usually starts around 60 – 90 minutes before the F1 Japan race time on the SKy Sports F1 channel.
Race highlights will be available for free in the UK on Channel 4 later on in the day on Sunday 29th March. Check the channel’s scheduling nearer the time for the exact program start time.
Information on international broacastsof the Japanese Grand Prix can be found on the official Formula 1 website.
Gate opening times
If you’re planning on attending the Japanese Grand Prix in person you’ll want to know what time the spectator gates open. You can then plan your arrival time accordingly; important if you’re desperate to get a good viewing position in the General Admission areas so you can to arrive at the gates well before they open.
There are a number of different spectator entrance gates dotted around the Suzuka circuit. For a full list of the specific opening times of each gate across the whole F1 weekend, see the Suzuka website here.
Below are the Main Gate opening times at the 2026 Japanese GP:
- Friday – 8:30am
- Saturday – 8:00am
- Sunday – 8:00am
Japanese F1 weekend detailed motorsport schedule
As well as the F1 there will be a number of support series racing over the weekend.
Last year these were:
- Porsche Carrera Cup Japan
- Ferrari Challenge Japan
| Friday 5th April | |
|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:45 | Ferrari Challenge Japan First Practice Session |
| 10:00 - 10:40 | Paddock Club Track Tour |
| 10:00 - 11:00 | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk |
| 10:00 - 11:00 | FIA F1 Car Presentation |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | FORMULA 1 FIRST PRACTICE SESSION |
| 13:00 - 13:45 | Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Practice Session |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Formula 1 Teams' Press Conference |
| 13:55 - 14:25 | Paddock Club Track Tour |
| 13:55 - 14:35 | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | FORMULA 1 SECOND PRACTICE SESSION |
| 16:30 - 17:00 | Ferrari Challenge Japan Qualifying Session |
| Saturday 6th April | |
|---|---|
| 09:15 - 09:45 | Formula 1 Team Pit Stop Practice |
| 10:20 - 10:50 | Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Qualifying Session |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | FORMULA 1 THIRD PRACTICE SESSION |
| 13:10 - 13:45 | Ferrari Challenge Japan First Race (30 Mins +1 Lap) |
| 14:00 - 14:30 | Paddock Club Track Tour |
| 14:00 - 14:30 | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | FORMULA 1 QUALIFYING SESSION |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | Formula 1 Press Conference |
| 16:30 - 17:30 | Paddock Club Track Tour |
| 16:30 - 17:30 | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk |
| Sunday 7th April | |
|---|---|
| 09:45 - 10:20 | Ferrari Challenge Japan Second Race (30 Mins +1 Lap) |
| 11:05 - 11:40 | Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Race (10 Laps or 30 Mins) |
| 11:55 - 12:40 | Paddock Club Track Tour |
| 11:55 - 12:55 | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk |
| 12:00 - 12:30 | Formula 1 Drivers' Parade |
| 13:30 - 13:43 | Air Display Acrobatic Air Show |
| 13:46 - 13:47 | Formula 1 National Anthem |
| 14:00 - 16:00 | FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX (53 LAPS OR 120 MINS) |
