British Grand Prix 2026: start times, TV channel, and what to expect
Formula 1 comes home to Silverstone this weekend — and it’s a sprint format, meaning five sessions across three days. Here’s the full schedule and where to watch.
Full session schedule
Where to watch
Sky Sports F1 has live coverage of every session across the weekend. The race on Sunday is also shown live and free on Channel 4 — the only session available without a Sky subscription. Sky Go streams all sessions for subscribers; Channel 4’s race coverage streams free on the Channel 4 website and app.
What’s a sprint weekend?
A sprint weekend replaces the usual second practice session. Instead, teams go straight into Sprint Qualifying on Friday afternoon — a short knockout session that sets the grid for Saturday’s Sprint race.
The Sprint is roughly 100km — about a third of the grand prix distance — with points awarded to the top eight finishers. Then standard qualifying on Saturday afternoon sets the grid for Sunday’s main race.
Sprint weekends mean less practice data and more unpredictability. Silverstone is already one of the most exciting venues on the calendar — add a sprint format and this could be a special weekend.
Why Silverstone is always worth watching
The British Grand Prix is one of the oldest races on the Formula 1 calendar. The high-speed complex at Maggotts, Becketts, and Chapel is unlike anything else on the calendar — cars at full load, barely lifting, drivers working at the absolute limit. The crowd adds to it; Silverstone sells out every year.
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Open Watchsport →All times UK. Schedule correct at time of publication and subject to change.