How to watch the 2026 Indy 500: UK live stream, TV schedule and start time

The Indianapolis 500 truly is a race like no other.

The largest single-day sporting event in the world, with over 400,000 fans packed into the famous Brickyard, 33 IndyCar drivers battle over 200 laps with speeds touching 240mph, a spectacle that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else in motor sport.

If you can’t make the trip to the American Midwest, though, you can find everything you need to watch it all from the comfort of your own home below.

Considered one of the toughest events to win in top-level motorsport, the 500 forms part of the legendary Triple Crown alongside the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monaco Grand Prix – giving it a prestige that even casual fans can’t ignore.

This year’s race marks the 110th running of the event and constitutes another pivotal round of the IndyCar season, with one question dominating the paddock: is there anyone capable of stopping Alex Palou?

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has been the defining force in IndyCar in recent years, and arrives at Indianapolis once again as the man to beat after last year’s win.

Also turning heads is the legendary Helio Castroneves, who makes a special return to Indianapolis – the four-time Indy 500 winner going for one more tilt at the race he has made his own over the years.

‘The Brickyard,’ however, is a completely different proposition to any other round on the calendar – faster, longer, and with far more cars than a typical IndyCar race, where the margins between glory and disaster are razor-thin.

Read on for everything you need to know about how to watch the 2026 Indianapolis 500.

2026 Indy 500 live stream and TV schedule 

All times in BST

How to watch Indy 500: UK live stream and TV details

The 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 is part of a motor sport double header for racing fans, with the Canadian Grand Prix held on the same day, but on-track action in Indianapolis kicks off almost two weeks before the race itself.

Practice sessions are available on Sky Sports F1 throughout the build-up, beginning with practice, which aired at 5pm on Tuesday May 12.

The majority of sessions follow the same pattern across the week.

Sky Sports’ full Indy 500 schedule (all times BST):

• Tue May 12 — 5pm: Practice 1

• Wed May 13 — 5pm: Practice 2

• Thu May 14 — 5pm: Practice 3

• Fri May 15 — 5pm: Practice 4

• Sat May 16 — 1.30pm: Practice 5 / 4pm: Qualifying (positions 13–34)

• Sun May 17 — 6pm: Practice 6 / 9pm: Qualifying (Fast 12 & Fast Six)

• Mon May 18 — 6pm: Practice 7

• Fri May 22 — 4pm: Practice 8* / 8.10pm: PitStop Challenge

• Sun May 24 — 3pm: build-up, race start at 5.30pm*

*Live on Sky Sports Mix

Live TV: Sky customers can watch on Sky Sports F1, with race coverage beginning at 3pm BST on Sunday May 24 and the race itself getting underway at 5.30pm.

Live stream: Sky customers can also stream all the action via the Sky Sports app, with the option to go onboard with any driver. Non-Sky customers can stream with a NOW Day pass or a cancel-anytime Month pass.

Highlights: Free highlights will be posted to the official IndyCar YouTube channel on race day.