What time is the 2026 Australian Grand Prix and how can I watch it?

The 2026 Formula 1 season officially begins this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix – and here are the global start times for Sunday’s race.

After a busy pre-season, all 11 teams – with Cadillac joining the grid this year – are gearing up for the start of the new campaign in Melbourne, having spent the winter break adjusting to the sport’s sweeping new technical regulations.

Head to the RACE HUB or scroll down for more on how and when you can watch the action, along with the global start times for each session.

What time is the 2026 Australian Grand Prix?

Free Practice 1 will kick off the weekend on Friday, March 6 at 1230 local time, with Free Practice 2 following at 1600.

Free Practice 3 takes place at 1230 on Saturday, March 7, ahead of Qualifying at 1600 before the Grand Prix itself gets underway at 1500 on Sunday, March 8.

Check out the image below to find all the global start times for Sunday’s race.

How can I watch the 2026 Australian Grand Prix?

You can enjoy coverage from every session live on F1 TV Pro, which brings fans closer to the action via exclusive features like onboard cameras on all 20 of the drivers’ cars, and access to both Pre-Race and Post-Race Shows.

F1 TV Pro can be streamed easily via Apple TV, Chromecast Generation 2 and above, Android TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. F1 TV Pro is free of ad breaks and available with commentary in six languages.

Fans can also watch via F1 TV Premium, a premier service that invites fans to step into the heart of the action with the ability to watch races in 4K Ultra HD/HDR on up to six different devices, as well as a personalised Multiview feature available on select devices with 26 different feeds to choose from.

Viewers can watch every F1 Grand Prix, F1 Sprint, Qualifying and practice session live in 4K Ultra HD/HDR at home, with F2, F3, F1 ACADEMY and Porsche Supercup sessions also available to watch live on the platform.

Alternatively, live timing will be available on F1.com and the F1 app across every session during the Grand Prix weekend.

Where is the 2026 Australian Grand Prix taking place?

The Australian Grand Prix will be held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, a venue that has hosted the event since 1996.

Since joining the calendar, Albert Park has often been the location for the first race of the season, which will again be the case for the 2026 campaign.

What is the weather forecast in Melbourne?

Last year’s Australian Grand Prix was famously affected by heavy rainfall but, as things stand, it looks like dry conditions are on the cards for the 2026 event.

Friday currently appears to feature a mixture of sunshine and cloud cover, before cloudier conditions on Saturday followed by a brighter day on Sunday. Temperatures throughout the weekend currently look to range between a high of 24 and a low of 15 degrees Celsius.

When can I watch F2 and F3 during the 2026 Australian Grand Prix weekend?

Both Formula 2 and Formula 3 will kick off their respective seasons alongside Formula 1 during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

For F2, Free Practice and Qualifying are set to take place on Friday, 6 March at 1000 and 1455 local time respectively. The Sprint Race is scheduled for 1410 on Saturday, 7 March, followed by the Feature Race at 1125 on Sunday, 8 March.

The F3 weekend starts with Practice on Friday, 6 March at 0850, ahead of Qualifying at 1400. On Saturday, 7 March, the Sprint Race takes place at 1115, while the Feature Race concludes the category’s weekend on Sunday, 8 March at 0850.