2026 British Grand Prix 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 British Grand Prix
The British GP will be a sprint weekend for the second time
Grand Prix Photo
Formula 1 heads to Silverstone with the championship picture tightening and the British Grand Prix promising another thrilling weekend.
With a sprint format adding extra points and compressing the pressure, there is little room for error as the title fight edges into a crucial phase.
Sky Sports F1 will carry every session live in Britain, while Channel 4 will also show the race live and free-to-air for UK viewers.
The action gets underway on Friday with practice and sprint qualifying, before Saturday’s sprint and qualifying set the grid for Sunday’s race at 3pm BST.
Silverstone’s fast, flowing layout usually rewards confidence and precision in equal measure, and its mix of long corners and heavy braking zones often creates a race that is as strategic as it is quick.
With extra points on offer in the sprint and a packed crowd expecting a big home-weekend atmosphere, the British GP should tell us plenty about who is really in control of the championship battle.
2026 British GP F1 start times, streaming & TV schedule
All times are BST for UK viewers
Friday, July 3
| Session | Session start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | 12.30pm | 12pm, Sky Sports F1 | — |
| Sprint qualifying | 4.30pm | 3.55pm, Sky Sports F1 | — |
Saturday, July 4
| Session | Session start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 12pm | 11.30am, Sky Sports F1 – 11.00am, Channel 4 | – |
| Qualifying | 4pm | 3.15pm, Sky Sports F1 – 3.00pm, Channel 4 | – |
Sunday, July 5
| Session | Race start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Grand Prix | 3pm | 12.55pm, Sky Sports F1 – 1.00pm, Channel 4 |
How to watch F1: British GP broadcast & streaming guide
The British Grand Prix is a sprint weekend, with one practice session on Friday, sprint qualifying later that day, the sprint and qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday at Silverstone.
Live TV
Sky Sports F1 will show every session live for subscribers, starting with Practice 1 on Friday July 3 at 12.30pm BST and ending with the British Grand Prix on Sunday July 5 at 3pm BST. Sky customers can also use the Sky Sports app to stream the action and access onboard cameras from any driver during the weekend.
Channel 4 will also broadcast the British Grand Prix live in the UK as part of its one-off, free-to-air coverage.
Live Stream
If you do not have Sky, NOW offers contract-free access to Sky Sports channels through Day or Month Membership options. For live timing and session data without video, the official F1 app covers the full weekend.
Highlights
Unlike its usual F1 weekends, the Channel 4 2026 schedule doesn’t list a separate British GP highlights slot, so the live race coverage is the key free-to-air broadcast to note.