Formula 1’s best racetrack hosts the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix this weekend, 17–19 July — and with the new-regulation cars visiting the Ardennes for the first time, nobody quite knows what Eau Rouge will do to them. The race goes lights-out at 2:00 PM BST on Sunday.
The storylines
This is the first Belgian GP of F1’s new rules era, and Spa is the truest test yet of the 2026 cars: the longest lap on the calendar, massive elevation change, and a flat-out run from La Source hairpin up through Eau Rouge and Raidillon to Les Combes that rewards straight-line efficiency like nowhere else. Teams that nailed the new regulations will be brutally exposed — or crowned — here.
Then there’s the weather. The Ardennes microclimate is famous for raining on half the circuit while the other half stays dry, and July storms are a regular feature. Half of Spa’s classic races were decided by a well-timed downpour; keep an eye on the radar from Friday.
Weekend schedule (all times BST)
- Friday 17 July — Practice One 12:30 PM, Practice Two 4:00 PM
- Saturday 18 July — Practice Three 11:30 AM, Qualifying 3:00 PM
- Sunday 19 July — Race (44 laps) 2:00 PM
Every session is live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK, with onboard channels on the Sky Sports app.
Part of a monster Sunday
The Belgian GP anchors the early afternoon of the biggest sports day of the summer: The Open’s final round at Royal Birkdale runs all day, the race fills 2–4 PM, and the World Cup final kicks off at 8 PM BST. The timings dovetail perfectly — and if you’d rather not juggle broadcasters for each one, the free stream linked above covers the entire race weekend, every session, no account required.