What time does the Chinese GP Start in the UK?
After a Mercedes 1-2 in Melbourne, the F1 travelling circus makes its way across the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea to Shanghai for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.
It is a Sprint Weekend, so expect plenty of action on the track as we talk you through the session times and TV coverage of the race here in the UK…
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Chinese Grand Prix 2026 FAQ
What time does the Chinese Grand Prix start in the UK?
The race proper is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026 and have lights out at 7AM UK time.
What time does the Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying start in the UK?
When it comes to the qualifying session, you’ll have to tune in exactly 24 hours earlier as that is scheduled to take place on Saturday morning at 7AM.
What times do all the other sessions start in the UK?
It is a busy weekend for Formula 1 in China, with a sprint race and qualifying session also in the schedule.
The first and only practice session will take place at 3AM on Friday morning, with sprint qualifying at 6:45AM on the same day.
On Saturday morning, the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race will take place with a start time of 3AM.
Where can I watch the Chinese Grand Prix in the UK?
Sky Sports continue to cover every session of the Formula 1 season live. You’ll be able to see all practice sessions, along with the qualifying, sprint and main race live on the Sky Sports F1 Channel along with Sky Sports Main Event.
Channel 4 will have three shows across the weekend for Free-to-Air viewers. On Friday afternoon at 2:30PM, they will show highlights of Sprint Qualifying.
On Saturday afternoon at 2PM it will be highlights of the Sprint Race and Qualifying for the main race.
Highlights of the main race itself will be broadcast at 1PM on Saturday afternoon.
What is the Weather Forecast for the Chinese Grand Prix?
No rain is expected across any session this weekend. Air temperatures are cool with a high of just 16 degrees on Saturday. This should lead to a dry race.
Where can I bet on the Chinese Grand Prix?
Betfred have plenty of markets open for the race this weekend, including Race Winner, Winning Constructor, Top 2/3/6/10 Finishes and who will Record the Fastest Lap along with markets for Qualifying.
You can Bet on the Chinese Grand Prix with Betfred by going to our Formula 1 Odds market page over on betfred.com
What are your Chinese GP Predictions?
Our F1 guru Simon Lillibury has previewed the race in full and made three picks for the race.
You can see his Chinese Grand Prix Predictions behind the link.
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