MADRID, SPAIN – AUGUST 25: Brando Badoer of Italy and Rodin Motorsport (18) drives on track during day two of Formula 3 Testing at Madring on August 25, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Dom Gibbons – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Formula 1 via Getty Images
Formula 1 is heading to the brand-new Madring in Madrid this weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix – the final European round of the 2026 season.
The sport’s newest track will play host to the Spanish capital’s first F1 race since Jarama around 40 years ago, and it is set to present a unique challenge for all drivers with its fast layout featuring the longest banked corner on the calendar – 547 meters long and a 24% gradient.
Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli arrives at the weekend with his sights set on another victory to inch closer to his maiden drivers’ title. Just a few days ago, the Italian youngster pulled off a sensational win from 19th on the grid at his home race in Monza, further extending his championship lead over teammate and closest rival George Russell by 66 points.
Russell on the other hand will be hoping to stand at the top of the podium after watching his third win of the season slip away in Italy. The Briton was jumped by Antonelli with only four laps remaining, eventually crossing the line around four seconds behind in P2.
Winner Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli 2nd R of Italy , Runner-up Mercedes’ George Russell 1st L of Britain , 3rd-Placed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen 1st R of the Netherlands and Mercedes’ Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta pose for photos on the podium after the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza Circuit, near Milan, Italy, on Sept. 6, 2026. (Photo by Qian Jun/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, having celebrated his first grand prix win in Ferrari red a few months ago in Barcelona, is keen on adding another win on Spanish soil, while his teammate Charles Leclerc is hoping to bounce back after a tough Monza outing where he crashed heavily out of the race on lap 2.
Defending champion Lando Norris is just another driver eyeing victory at F1’s newest venue – one that would cut his 96-point deficit to leader Antonelli in the standings.
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On a different note, Isack Hadjar remains sidelined at Red Bull due to a wrist injury he picked up during the summer break. He has missed races in Zandvoort, Monza and now Madrid.
Liam Lawson will once again step in for him at Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda takes on Lawson’s seat at the sister team, Racing Bulls.
Madring F1 Circuit Stats
- First Grand Prix: 2026
- Circuit Length: 5.416km (3.365 miles)
- Race Distance: 308.524km (191.707 miles)
- Number of Laps: 57
- Number of Turns: 22
MADRID, SPAIN – 2026/01/23: Visitors look at a display of the new urban circuit of the capital, Madring, that will host the 2026 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix scheduled for September 13, at the International Tourism Fair FITUR 2026. The 46th edition of FITUR showcases tourism trends and the newest travel technologies and destinations with Mexico as the partner country. (Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
LightRocket via Getty Images
F1 Spanish Grand Prix 2026 Schedule
The 14th round of the season at Madring, Madrid, kicks off with Free Practice 1 (FP1) on Friday, September 11, at 1:30 p.m. local time (CEST), followed by Free Practice 2 (FP2) later in the day at 5 p.m.
On Sept. 12, drivers will climb into their cars for the final practice run (FP3) at 12:30 p.m. before they battle for grid positions in qualifying at 4 p.m.
The 57-lap race will get underway at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13.
| Free Practice 1 | Free Practice 2 | Free Practice 3 | Qualifying | Race |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Time (CEST): 1:30 p.m. | Local Time (CEST): 5 p.m. | Local Time (CEST): 12:30 p.m. | Local Time (CEST): 4 p.m. | Local Time (CEST): 3 p.m. |
| United States (EDT): 7:30 a.m. | United States (EDT): 11 a.m. | United States (EDT): 6:30 a.m. | United States (EDT): 10 a.m. | United States (EDT): 9 a.m. |
| United Kingdom (BST): 12:30 p.m. | United Kingdom (BST): 4 p.m. | United Kingdom (BST): 11:30 a.m. | United Kingdom (BST): 3 p.m. | United Kingdom (BST): 2 p.m. |
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Spanish Grand Prix 2026: FP1 Start Times
All below start times are on Friday unless stated otherwise.
- Local Time (CEST): 1:30 p.m.
- United States and Canada (EDT): 7:30 a.m.
- United States and Canada (CDT): 6:30 a.m.
- United States and Canada (PDT): 4:30 a.m.
- United States and Canada (MDT): 5:30 a.m.
- United Kingdom (BST): 12:30 p.m.
- Australia (AEST): 9:30 p.m.
- Australia (AWST): 7:30 p.m.
- Australia (ACST): 9 p.m.
- Brasília, Brazil: 8:30 a.m.
- Mexico City, Mexico: 5:30 a.m.
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: 2:30 p.m.
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: 3:30 p.m.
- Ankara, Turkey: 2:30 p.m.
- Tokyo, Japan (JST): 8:30 p.m.
- Beijing, China (CST): 7:30 p.m.
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 7:30 p.m.
- New Delhi, India (IST): 5 p.m.
Spanish Grand Prix 2026: FP2 Start Times
All below start times are on Friday unless stated otherwise.
- Local Time (CEST): 5 p.m.
- United States and Canada (EDT): 11 a.m.
- United States and Canada (CDT): 10 a.m.
- United States and Canada (PDT): 8 a.m.
- United States and Canada (MDT): 9 a.m.
- United Kingdom (BST): 4 p.m.
- Australia (AEST): 1 a.m. on Saturday
- Australia (AWST): 11 p.m.
- Australia (ACST): 12:30 a.m. on Saturday
- Brasília, Brazil: 12 p.m.
- Mexico City, Mexico: 9 a.m.
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: 6 p.m.
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: 7 p.m.
- Ankara, Turkey: 6 p.m.
- Tokyo, Japan (JST): 12 a.m. on Saturday
- Beijing, China (CST): 11 p.m.
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 11 p.m.
- New Delhi, India (IST): 8:30 p.m.
Spanish Grand Prix 2026: FP3 Start Times
All below start times are on Saturday unless stated otherwise.
- Local Time (CEST): 12:30 p.m.
- United States and Canada (EDT): 6:30 a.m.
- United States and Canada (CDT): 5:30 a.m.
- United States and Canada (PDT): 3:30 a.m.
- United States and Canada (MDT): 4:30 a.m.
- United Kingdom (BST): 11:30 a.m.
- Australia (AEST): 8:30 p.m.
- Australia (AWST): 6:30 p.m.
- Australia (ACST): 8 p.m.
- Brasília, Brazil: 7:30 a.m.
- Mexico City, Mexico: 4:30 a.m.
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: 1:30 p.m.
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: 2:30 p.m.
- Ankara, Turkey: 1:30 p.m.
- Tokyo, Japan (JST): 7:30 p.m.
- Beijing, China (CST): 6:30 p.m.
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 6:30 p.m.
- New Delhi, India (IST): 4 p.m.
Spanish Grand Prix 2026: Qualifying Start Times
All below start times are on Saturday unless stated otherwise.
- Local Time (CEST): 4 p.m.
- United States and Canada (EDT): 10 a.m.
- United States and Canada (CDT): 9 a.m.
- United States and Canada (PDT): 7 a.m.
- United States and Canada (MDT): 8 a.m.
- United Kingdom (BST): 3 p.m.
- Australia (AEST): 12 a.m. on Sunday
- Australia (AWST): 10 p.m.
- Australia (ACST): 11:30 p.m.
- Brasília, Brazil: 11 a.m.
- Mexico City, Mexico: 8 a.m.
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: 5 p.m.
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: 6 p.m.
- Ankara, Turkey: 5 p.m.
- Tokyo, Japan (JST): 11 p.m.
- Beijing, China (CST): 10 p.m.
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 10 p.m.
- New Delhi, India (IST): 7:30 p.m.
Spanish Grand Prix 2026: Race Start Times
All below start times are on Sunday unless stated otherwise.
- Local Time (CEST): 3 p.m.
- United States and Canada (EDT): 9 a.m.
- United States and Canada (CDT): 8 a.m.
- United States and Canada (PDT): 6 a.m.
- United States and Canada (MDT): 7 a.m.
- United Kingdom (BST): 2 p.m.
- Australia (AEST): 11 p.m.
- Australia (AWST): 9 p.m.
- Australia (ACST): 10:30 p.m.
- Brasília, Brazil: 10 a.m.
- Mexico City, Mexico: 7 a.m.
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: 4 p.m.
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: 5 p.m.
- Ankara, Turkey: 4 p.m.
- Tokyo, Japan (JST): 10 p.m.
- Beijing, China (CST): 9 p.m.
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 9 p.m.
- New Delhi, India (IST): 6:30 p.m.
How To Watch 2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix
Fans in the U.S. can catch all the live action of the Spanish Grand Prix on Apple TV, while viewers in the U.K. can tune in to Sky Sports for extensive coverage of the weekend, with highlights available for free on Channel 4.
In select regions, F1 TV Pro subscribers can tune in for live coverage on any device, along with the opportunity to catch up on full session replays and highlights afterwards.
Below is the broadcast information for some key territories:
| Territory | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| United States | Apple TV |
| United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland | Sky Sports |
| Canada | RDS, RDS2, TSN, Noovo |
| Italy | Sky Italia |
| Netherlands | Viaplay TV |
| Australia | Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo |
| Japan | Fuji TV |
| Middle East and Turkey | beIN SPORTS |
| Spain | DAZN |
| Germany | Sky Deutschland, RTL |
| France | Canal+ |
| Belgium | RTBF, Play Sports |
| Portugal | DAZN |
| Austria | Servus TV, ORF |
| Singapore | beIN SPORTS |
| Brazil | TV Globo, sportv |
| Mexico | TUDN, Sky Sports, Izzi |
| Latin America | ESPN |
| Africa | SuperSport |
Highlights from each day of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix weekend will be available on F1’s YouTube channel.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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