News Summary
- The 2026 Spanish GP takes place from September 11-13 at the new MADRING circuit in Madrid.
- The race starts at 3:00pm local time on Sunday and 10:00am in Brasília.
- Kimi Antonelli arrives in Madrid with a 66-point lead over Mercedes team-mate George Russell after winning the Italian GP.
Formula 1 heads to Madrid this weekend for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, the 14th round of the championship and the first F1 race at the new MADRING circuit. Track action begins on Friday, September 11, with the Grand Prix taking place on Sunday, September 13.
The weekend comes immediately after a historic Italian GP at Monza, where Kimi Antonelli started from 19th and recovered to win his home race. The Mercedes driver extended his championship advantage over George Russell to 66 points and arrives in Madrid as the clear leader of the 2026 title race.
For fans planning to follow the first F1 weekend at the new Madrid venue, here is the complete schedule, including practice, qualifying and race times.
F1 Spanish GP 2026: schedule and session times
The Spanish GP follows the standard three-day Formula 1 weekend format, with two practice sessions on Friday, final practice and qualifying on Saturday, and the Grand Prix on Sunday.
The official F1 timetable lists the sessions in Madrid local time as follows.
Friday, September 11
| Session | Madrid | Brasília |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | 11:30 | 06:30 |
| Free Practice 2 | 15:00 | 10:00 |
Saturday, September 12
| Session | Madrid | Brasília |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 3 | 10:30 | 05:30 |
| Qualifying | 14:00 | 09:00 |
Sunday, September 13
| Session | Madrid | Brasília |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish GP | 13:00 | 08:00 |
Important: The official Formula 1 timetable currently shows the Spanish GP starting at 13:00 local time in Madrid.
F1 Spanish GP schedule in the United States and United Kingdom
For international fans, the session times correspond to:
| Session | US Eastern Time | UK Time |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | 5:30am | 10:30am |
| Free Practice 2 | 9:00am | 2:00pm |
| Free Practice 3 | 4:30am | 9:30am |
| Qualifying | 8:00am | 1:00pm |
| Race | 7:00am | 12:00pm |
Times can vary by broadcaster and daylight-saving conventions, so viewers should check their local listings before each session.
Where to watch the 2026 Spanish GP
Broadcast rights vary by country.
In the United States, Apple TV is the exclusive home of Formula 1 in 2026 and carries every practice session, qualifying session and Grand Prix live.
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports F1 carries live coverage of the complete Spanish GP weekend, including Friday practice, qualifying and Sunday’s race.
In Spain, the Spanish GP is available through the country’s F1 broadcast partners, including DAZN, with free-to-air coverage also available for selected programming.
In Brazil, the Spanish GP race will be broadcast live by TV Globo, while sportv3 carries the complete F1 weekend, including practice and qualifying.
F1 TV also offers live coverage in markets where the service has the necessary broadcast rights. Availability and the precise package vary by country.
Madrid hosts F1 for the first time
The Spanish GP represents the biggest change to the country’s Formula 1 calendar in decades. Madrid replaces Barcelona as the venue for the Spanish Grand Prix, with the new MADRING circuit combining public roads and purpose-built sections around IFEMA and Valdebebas.
The circuit measures approximately 5.4 km and features a mixture of high-speed sections, heavy braking zones and the highly anticipated La Monumental banked corner. The official F1 specification lists 57 laps and a race distance of 308.524 km.
What to expect from the new Madrid circuit is therefore one of the key questions heading into the weekend, particularly because no F1 driver has raced at the venue in a Grand Prix before.
The first Spanish GP at Madring also arrives with considerable championship significance. Antonelli leads Russell by 66 points and Lewis Hamilton by 76 after Monza, while Max Verstappen remains among the drivers capable of influencing the title battle.
Antonelli arrives in Madrid as the driver to beat
Antonelli’s position at the top of the championship has become increasingly strong after his seventh victory of the season at Monza.
The Italian’s win was particularly significant because he recovered from 19th on the grid to beat Russell, turning what initially appeared to be a major setback into another victory.
Antonelli’s championship lead reached 66 points after the Italian GP, although the Mercedes driver has continued to play down the idea that the title is already decided.
Russell, meanwhile, has admitted that he is no longer thinking about a comeback and instead wants to maximize each remaining race.
Madrid will therefore provide the first opportunity to see whether Mercedes can carry its Monza advantage to a completely different type of circuit.
The Red Bull situation will also be closely watched. Liam Lawson will race alongside Verstappen for a third consecutive Grand Prix as Isack Hadjar continues his recovery from a wrist injury, while Yuki Tsunoda remains at Racing Bulls.
Carlos Sainz will also have an especially significant weekend in his home city. The Williams driver has unveiled a special helmet inspired by the first design he used in karting in 2005, with the Spanish flag featuring prominently in the design.
Formula 1 returns to action in Madrid from September 11-13. GRANDE PRÊMIO will follow every session of the inaugural Spanish GP, with live coverage, qualifying and race updates from the 14th round of the 2026 championship.
FAQ
What time is the 2026 Spanish GP?
The Spanish Grand Prix starts at 1:00pm local time in Madrid and 8:00am in Brasília on Sunday, September 13. In the United Kingdom, the race starts at noon.
Where is the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix held?
The 2026 Spanish GP takes place at the new MADRING circuit in Madrid, around the IFEMA exhibition centre and Valdebebas. It is the first Formula 1 race at the new venue.
Who leads the 2026 F1 championship before the Spanish GP?
Kimi Antonelli leads the championship with 267 points after winning the Italian GP at Monza. George Russell is second with 201 points, while Lewis Hamilton is third with 191.
