The Belgian GP 2026 schedule brings Formula 1 to Spa-Francorchamps for one of the most anticipated weekends of the season, with the championship suddenly looking far less comfortable for Kimi Antonelli after his difficult home race at Silverstone.
Charles Leclerc led home a 1-3 finish for the Scuderia at the British GP with a capable performance that saw him manage to hold off Kimi Antonelli through the opening stint before taking advantage of late reliability issues for Mercedes.
He now arrives to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to chase a second straight win and his first in Belgium since his emotional maiden victory in the sport, which he dedicated to Anthoine Hubert after his death in Formula 2.
But it will not be an easy weekend for the Monegasque driver, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell keen to take the victory with their championship hopes brought to life by Antonelli’s reliability woes.
The Italian looked set to take the win in the United Kingdom until he broke his front-wing and had to pit twice, eventually falling out of the points with a late five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits too many times.
That saw the gap in the Formula 1 standings narrow to just 25 points to Russell and 32 points for Hamilton, putting the duo back into the mix and offering the prospect of a dramatic shake-up in the title race.
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For example, if Russell led Hamilton home with Leclerc in third and Antonelli in fourth, the 28-year-old would reduce the gap to his Mercedes teammate to just 12 points. It’s a big weekend for the British driver.
And as the title fight heats up and Leclerc demonstrates his race-winning potential, a perfect stage is set in the Ardennes forest for the Belgian GP, at one of the most iconic and challenging tracks in world motorsport.
Belgian GP 2026 Schedule – Full timetable for the F1 weekend
Free Practice 1 takes place on Friday, July 17 and is later followed by FP2 that same day, offering the chance for drivers to understand the track, test upgrades and begin to develop their set-ups in their preferred directions.
Saturday opens with FP3, offering teams their final chance to make any tweaks to their cars before qualifying takes place on July 18, and parc fermé is locked in for the remainder of the weekend. Any major changes after this point will result in a grid-drop penalty.
And finally, on Sunday, July 19, the Belgian Grand Prix takes place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, lasting for 44 laps.
| Session | Your Time | Local Time (Belgium) |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | 17 Jul, 13:30 – 14:30 (CEST) | |
| Free Practice 2 | 17 Jul, 17:00 – 18:00 (CEST) | |
| Free Practice 3 | 18 Jul, 12:30 – 13:30 (CEST) | |
| Qualifying | 18 Jul, 16:00 – 17:00 (CEST) | |
| Belgian Grand Prix | 19 Jul, 15:00 (CEST) |
What time does the Belgian GP start?
The Belgian Grand Prix starts at 15:00 local time (CEST) on Sunday, July 19 and will run for 44 laps at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. That means the race begins at:
- Belgium: 15:00 CEST
- UK: 14:00 BST
- US Eastern: 09:00 ET
- US Pacific: 06:00 PT
- Australia, Melbourne: 23:00 AEST
- New Zealand: 01:00 NZST on Monday, July 20
Belgian GP 2026 Schedule in the United Kingdom
Audiences in the United Kingdom can watch FP1 on Friday, July 17 from 12:30 BST, followed by FP2 at 16:00 BST, and on Saturday, July 18, FP3 begins at 11:30 BST.
Qualifying starts later that afternoon at 15:00 BST, and finally, lights out for the Belgian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, July 19 at 14:00 BST.
All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
Belgian GP 2026 Schedule in United States
Fans in the United States can watch FP1 on Friday, July 17 from 07:30 ET/04:30 PT, with FP2 following at 11:00 ET/08:00 PT. On Saturday, July 18, FP3 begins at 06:30 ET/03:30 PT.
Qualifying in Europe starts at 10:00 ET/07:00 PT on July 18 whilst the Belgian GP takes place on Sunday, July 19 from 09:00 ET/06:00 PT.
All sessions will be broadcast by Apple TV.
Belgian GP 2026 Schedule in Australia
Viewers on the eastern coast of Australia can watch FP1 on Friday, July 17 from 20:30 AEST, with FP2 beginning at 00:00 AEST on Saturday, July 18.
FP3 starts at 19:30 AEST on July 18, before qualifying begins at 23:00 AEST on Saturday. Finally, the Belgian GP starts at 23:00 AEST on Sunday, July 19.
Fans can watch all sessions on Fox Sports.
Belgian GP 2026 Schedule in New Zealand
For those in New Zealand, FP1 begins at 22:30 NZST on Friday, July 17, while FP2 starts at 02:00 NZST in the early hours of Saturday, July 18.
FP3 begins later on Saturday at 21:30 NZST, whilst qualifying starts at 01:00 NZST on Sunday. The Belgian GP begins at 01:00 NZST on Monday, July 20.
Fans can watch all sessions on Sky Sports NZ.
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps information
The modern Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is far smaller than in the past, but it still measures 7.004 km (4.352 miles) and features 19 corners, making it the longest venue on the calendar.
It is renowned for its dramatic elevation changes, sweeping high-speed sections and unpredictable weather, and one of its most famous, and equally infamous, sequences is Eau Rouge and Raidillon.
There, drivers plunge downhill before climbing steeply uphill through a flat-out blind corner, demanding full commitment. It is an amazing spectacle, but also a sombre location.
This is the site where Hubert tragically lost his life in a collision, and the promising Dilano van ‘t Hoff died at the age of 18 whilst competing in the Formula Regional European Championship, also in a multi-car crash.
A total of 26 drivers and four marshals have died at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, meaning that the weekend will also be a moment of reflection on the dangers of motorsport, and the strive for safety improvements.
Belgian GP 2026 Schedule – FAQs
FP1 and FP2 take place on Friday, July 17 from 13:30 and 17:00 CEST (local time). On Saturday, July 18, FP3 begins at 12:30 CEST, with Qualifying at 16:00 CEST. The Belgian GP takes place on Sunday, July 19 from 15:00 CEST.
US viewers can watch FP1 and FP2 on Friday, July 17 at 07:30 ET and 11:00 ET. On Saturday, July 18, FP3 begins at 06:30 ET, before Qualifying starts at 10:00 ET. The Belgian GP takes place on Sunday, July 19 at 09:00 ET.
Australians can watch FP1 on Friday, July 17 at 20:30 AEST. FP2 begins on Saturday at 00:00 AEST, followed by FP3 at 19:30 AEST on July 18. Qualifying starts at 23:00 AEST, also on Saturday. The Belgian GP starts on Sunday, July 19 at 23:00 AEST.
New Zealand viewers can watch FP1 on Friday, July 17 at 22:30 NZST, with FP2 at 02:00 NZST on Saturday. FP3 begins at 21:30 NZST on July 18, with qualifying at 01:00 NZST on Sunday. The Belgian GP takes place on Monday, July 20 at 01:00 NZST.
The Belgian Grand Prix is held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. widely regarded as one of Formula 1‘s greatest circuits. The track is famous for legendary corners such as Pouhon, Blanchimont and La Source.
