2026 Belgian 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 Belgian Grand Prix
Grand Prix Photo
Formula 1 rolls into the Ardennes forest for the Belgian Grand Prix, with Spa-Francorchamps offering one of the calendar’s most demanding tests just as the championship fight sharpens. The race starts at 2pm BST on Sunday, with live coverage, streaming and highlights options available.
Unlike Silverstone, this is a standard race weekend without a sprint, giving teams a full three practice sessions to fine-tune their cars before Saturday’s qualifying sets the grid.
Sky Sports F1 has exclusive live coverage in the UK, with Channel 4 providing highlights of the competitive sessions. The weekend builds through two practice sessions on Friday, a third practice and qualifying on Saturday, and the race itself on Sunday afternoon.
Spa’s blend of high-speed sweeps through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, long straights, and notoriously unpredictable weather makes it a circuit where raw pace and bold strategy calls both matter, and where a single mistake at the wrong moment can undo a whole weekend’s work.
With the title picture still taking shape after Silverstone, Spa’s combination of speed, elevation, and changeable conditions should offer a clear read on which teams have the car and the composure to handle whatever the Ardennes throws at them.
2026 Belgian GP F1 start times, streaming & TV schedule
All times are BST for UK viewers
Friday, July 17
| Session | Session start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | 12.30pm | 12pm, Sky Sports F1 | — |
| Practice 2 | 4pm | 3.45pm, Sky Sports F1 | — |
Saturday, July 18
| Session | Session start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 3 | 11.30am | 11.15am, Sky Sports F1 | — |
| Qualifying | 3pm | 2.45pm, Sky Sports F1 |
Sunday, July 19
| Session | Race start time | Live TV coverage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgian Grand Prix | 2pm | 1pm, Sky Sports F1 | — |
How to watch F1: Belgian GP broadcast & streaming guide
The Belgian Grand Prix is a standard weekend, with two practice sessions on Friday, a third practice session and qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps.
Live TV
Sky Sports F1 will show every session live for subscribers, starting with Practice 1 on Friday July 17 at 12.30pm BST and ending with the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday July 19 at 2pm BST.
Sky customers can also use the Sky Sports app to stream the action and access onboard cameras from any driver during the weekend.
Unlike the British GP, Channel 4 has no free-to-air rights for the Belgian round – its one-off, free-to-air 2026 coverage deal is reserved solely for Silverstone, so live Spa footage remains exclusive to Sky in the UK.
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, and F1 TV Pro/Premium subscribers can also stream every session live, including onboard cameras and multiview feeds.
Highlights
Channel 4 will broadcast free-to-air highlights of Belgian GP qualifying on Saturday evening, and a further highlights package covering the race on Sunday evening, in line with its usual weekly format for every non-British round.