A week after Spa, Formula 1 rolls straight into Budapest for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, 24–26 July — the second half of a European double-header and a total contrast to the Ardennes: 70 laps of the tight, technical, relentlessly twisty Hungaroring, where qualifying is half the battle.
The storylines
If Spa exposes straight-line efficiency, Hungary interrogates everything else in the new 2026 cars: traction, downforce in slow corners, and how well they follow each other in dirty air. Drivers call the Hungaroring “Monaco without the walls” — overtaking is at a premium, and a front-row start on Saturday afternoon has historically been worth more here than almost anywhere. Expect strategy, undercuts and tyre offset to decide it if the front-runners qualify out of position.
Late July in Budapest also means heat. The Hungaroring bakes — track temperatures north of 50°C are common — and tyre management in the race regularly flips the order from Saturday. Between the low speeds and the heat, this is the toughest physical test of midsummer.
Weekend schedule (all times BST)
- Friday 24 July — Practice One and Practice Two
- Saturday 25 July — Final practice, then Qualifying at 3:00 PM (4:00 PM local)
- Sunday 26 July — Race, 70 laps, 2:00 PM (3:00 PM local)
Sky Sports F1 carries every session live in the UK, with onboards and timing on the Sky Sports app.
When to tune in
Race day build-up starts about 12:30 PM BST Sunday, lights out at 2:00 PM. It’s a busy weekend: Saturday night has the Anthony Joshua fight in Jeddah and Spence vs Tszyu from Sydney in the small hours — guides to both are on this site. For every session of the Grand Prix without a Sky subscription, the free stream linked above has the whole weekend covered.