2026 Canadian GP start time: how to watch, live stream and F1 schedule
Watch F1 via live stream or on TV: dates and start time for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix
Canada is the third sprint weekend of the year
Grand Prix Photo
Formula 1 is back from its post-Miami break with another sprint weekend in North America, as the championship heads to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, which starts at 9pm BST on Sunday — shortly after this year’s Indy 500 is expected to finish.
Kimi Antonelli arrives at the fifth round of the 2026 season with momentum that would be remarkable for any driver, let alone one still a teenager. The Mercedes man has won each of the last three grands prix, taking victories in China, Japan and Miami to open up a 20-point lead over team-mate George Russell at the top of the drivers’ standings.
Three consecutive poles have accompanied those wins, and the Italian has quickly established himself as the benchmark against which his rivals are measuring themselves.
Russell, by contrast, needs a strong weekend. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a track he knows well – he won here in 2025 – and with Mercedes bringing further upgrades to Canada, this is as good an opportunity as any for the Briton to close the gap to his team-mate.
McLaren will also be pushing hard after closing significantly on the pace in Miami, where Lando Norris pushed Antonelli hard before ultimately having to settle for second. Both teams arrive with new developments, making the pecking order harder to predict than the recent results might suggest.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hosts a sprint for the first time, its combination of long straights, heavy braking zones and the unforgiving Wall of Champions promising to make Saturday’s shortened race as unpredictable as any this year.
2026 Canadian GP F1 start times, streaming and TV schedule
All times are BST for UK viewers
Friday May 22
| Session | Session start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | 5.30pm | 5pm, Sky Sports F1 | |
| Sprint qualifying | 9.30pm | 9pm, Sky Sports F1 | Saturday 1.05am, Channel 4 |
Saturday May 23
| Session | Session start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 5pm | 4pm, Sky Sports F1 | Sunday 1.10am, Channel 4 |
| Qualifying | 9pm | 8.10pm, Sky Sports F1 | Sunday 1.10am, Channel 4 |
Sunday May 24
| Session | Race start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Grand Prix | 9pm | 7.30pm, Sky Sports F1 | Monday 1.20am, Channel 4 |
How to watch F1: Streaming and TV broadcast details
The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix is another sprint weekend, with a single practice session on Friday before sprint qualifying kicks off the competitive action later that evening.
Live TV
Every session is live on Sky Sports F1 for Sky customers, from Practice 1 on Friday evening through to the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday May 24 at 9pm BST. Coverage is also available via the Sky Sports app, with subscribers able to go onboard with any driver at any point across the weekend.
Live stream
NOW provides contract-free access to all Sky Sports channels via a Day or Month Membership, with no commitment required. The official F1 app offers live timing throughout the weekend.
Highlights
Channel 4 will show highlights across Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with sprint qualifying, the sprint race, qualifying and the grand prix all covered – each programme airing in the early hours shortly after the relevant session concludes.