The new Formula 1 season is upon us. The championship opens this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix on Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.
It promises to be a fascinating weekend as we discover not only who will be the teams to beat in 2026, but how well F1’s radical new generation of cars will perform and race.
Both of F1’s top official feeder series will also open their weekends in Melbourne. F2 and F3 will hold two races each alongside the rest of the support programme in Melbourne.
Join us on RaceFans Live throughout every session of the Australian Grand Prix weekend. Look out for the live page on the site during every session and follow all the action with your fellow RaceFans.
Here’s how to watch the 2026 Australian Grand Prix live in the UK:
2026 Australian Grand Prix live session times
| Event | Date | Start Time | End Time | Time Zone | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Grand Prix: First practice | Friday 6th March | 1:30am | 2:30am | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPN2 |
| Australian Grand Prix: Second practice | Friday 6th March | 5:00am | 6:00am | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPNU |
| Formula 3: Melbourne race one | Saturday 7th March | 12:15am | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPN+ | |
| Australian Grand Prix: Third practice | Saturday 7th March | 1:30am | 2:30am | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPN2 |
| Formula 2: Melbourne race one | Saturday 7th March | 3:10am | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPN+ | |
| Australian Grand Prix: Qualifying | Saturday 7th March | 5:00am | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPN2 | |
| Formula 3: Melbourne race two | Saturday 7th March | 9:50pm | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPN+ | |
| Formula 2: Melbourne race two | Sunday 8th March | 12:25am | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPN+ | |
| Australian Grand Prix: Race | Sunday 8th March | 4:00am | Europe: London | UK: Sky Sports F1, US: ESPN |
NB. F1 coverage in the USA is now available on Apple TV.
Having problems using the time zone converter? Please give feedback here
Viewers in Britain can watch Channel 4’s highlights of the race weekend at the following times:
| Event | Date | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying highlights | Saturday 7th March | 1:00pm | Channel 4 |
| Grand prix highlights | Sunday 8th March | 1:00pm | Channel 4 |
Find the local session times and other support race information for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix here:
Find times for every F1 session this year and all the 2026 race dates with the RaceFans Google Calendar.
2026 Australian Grand Prix
Published by
Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 – when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring journalist, Keith began running the site full-time in 2010, achieving a long-held ambition to dedicate his full attention to his passion for motor racing. View all posts by Keith Collantine