F1 Spanish GP at Madring: Saturday schedule, weather…

Formula 1 heads into Saturday at Madring with Kimi Antonelli fastest after a tricky second practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Mercedes championship leader pipped Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in FP2, with Lewis Hamilton third as drivers continued to build confidence around Madrid’s new Formula 1 venue. Arvid Lindblad was an eye-catching fourth for Racing Bulls before crashing at Turn 13, bringing out the red flags with 25 minutes remaining.

George Russell was fifth ahead of Max Verstappen, while Oscar Piastri was the lead McLaren in seventh. Lando Norris had a difficult session, completing just two laps before a transmission issue forced McLaren to change his gearbox.

Saturday brings final practice and qualifying at a new circuit where drivers are still learning the limits. With little runoff, concrete-lined sections and high temperatures, timing, confidence and clean laps could all be crucial.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s running at the Spanish GP.

How can I watch the F1 Spanish GP?

Broadcast coverage of Formula 1 varies by region. For viewers in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports continues as the championship’s exclusive broadcaster, showing every session live throughout the 2026 season. F1 coverage can also be streamed via Sky Go or NOW, with highlights available free-to-air on Channel 4.

In the United States, Apple TV is the primary broadcast partner for the 2026 season, with all sessions available on the platform following a multi-year deal. F1 TV remains the series’ global subscription streaming service.

Motorsport.com will provide live coverage and updates throughout the Spanish GP weekend.

F1 Spanish GP Saturday schedule

Times local to Madrid:

Saturday, September 12 — free practice 3 — 12:30pm CEST

Saturday, September 12 — qualifying — 4:00pm CEST

For UK viewers:

Saturday, September 12 — free practice 3 — 11:30am BST

Saturday, September 12 — qualifying — 3:00pm BST

For US Eastern Time viewers:

Saturday, September 12 — free practice 3 — 6:30am ET

Saturday, September 12 — qualifying — 10:00am ET

F1 Spanish GP full weekend schedule

All times local to Madrid:

Friday, September 11 — free practice 1 — 1:30pm CEST
Friday, September 11 — free practice 2 — 5:00pm CEST
Saturday, September 12 — free practice 3 — 12:30pm CEST
Saturday, September 12 — qualifying — 4:00pm CEST
Sunday, September 13 — 2026 Spanish Grand Prix — 3:00pm CEST

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes (Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images)

Spanish GP Saturday weather forecast

Saturday is expected to be very warm, sunny and dry in Madrid, with temperatures climbing to around 31C.

That should give teams stable conditions for final practice and qualifying, but the heat could still make tyre preparation, cooling and brake management important. With Madring’s grip levels still evolving and drivers pushing closer to the walls, track temperature and confidence could both play a major role.

Sunday is forecast to be hotter again for the Spanish Grand Prix, so race pace, tyre life and cooling could become even bigger factors.

Spanish GP track facts

Circuit: Madring
Location: Madrid, Spain
Event: Spanish GP
Circuit type: hybrid of public roads and bespoke high-speed sections
Friday sessions: free practice 1 and free practice 2
Saturday sessions: free practice 3 and qualifying
Race: Sunday, September 13

Madring is a new Formula 1 venue with a mix of public-road sections, high-speed corners, limited runoff and the steeply banked La Monumental curve, making track evolution, confidence and clean execution especially important.

2026 Formula 1 driver and team roster

Team	Driver	Driver
McLaren	Lando Norris	Oscar Piastri
Mercedes	George Russell	Kimi Antonelli
Red Bull Racing	Max Verstappen	* Isack Hadjar
Ferrari	Lewis Hamilton	Charles Leclerc
Williams	Carlos Sainz	Alex Albon
Racing Bulls	Liam Lawson	Arvid Lindblad
Aston Martin	Fernando Alonso	Lance Stroll
Haas F1 Team	Oliver Bearman	Esteban Ocon
Audi	Nico Hulkenberg	Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine	Pierre Gasly	Franco Colapinto
Cadillac F1 Team	Valtteri Bottas	Sergio Perez