What Time Is the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in the UK?
The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix starts at 14:00 BST on Sunday 13 September. This guide covers the new Madring circuit, the race-day forecast, and the best ways to follow the action from the UK.
A new home for Formula 1 in Spain
Formula 1's 2026 season reaches round 14 at a venue that has never hosted the sport before. The Spanish Grand Prix has left Barcelona-Catalunya behind and moved to the Madring, a purpose-built 5.41km circuit with 20 corners that mixes street sections with road-course stretches around the Ifema Exhibition Centre, between Madrid and Barajas airport.
The UK time to remember
UK fans need to note one time above all: lights out at 14:00 BST on Sunday. The race starts at 15:00 local time and runs for 57 laps. BBC Sport's race-week guide expects Sunday to be the hottest day of the weekend, with temperatures reaching 32C.
Why drivers are wary
The heat is not the only challenge. The Guardian's track preview called the Madring "brutal and unforgiving", with narrow sections and fast corners where walls sit close to the racing line. Drivers largely agreed that it would reward inch-perfect execution, but they were more sceptical about overtaking. That makes qualifying important and could mean track position matters more than strategy.
Norris on pole, Antonelli carrying the lead
McLaren arrives in strong form. Lando Norris took pole position with a superb lap in Q3, having earlier looked unlikely to be in the fight for the top spot. Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes driver who leads the championship, starts second. Antonelli holds a 66-point advantage over teammate George Russell after winning his home race at Monza the previous weekend.
What to expect from a first visit
Formula 1's own preview highlights several reasons to expect drama. Norris is chasing a third win in four races, and a brand-new circuit where teams must learn as the action unfolds raises the chance of interruptions and incidents.
How to follow from the UK
For UK listeners, live commentary is available on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, with the same audio on BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. For the first time this year, the post-race show for every grand prix is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer and YouTube.
The stakes go beyond one race. A punishing first visit to the Madring could scramble the order in a championship battle that already shifted at Monza. With the title leader starting behind a resurgent McLaren, Sunday's 57 laps carry real weight for the rest of the season.