Formula 1 heads to the Shanghai International Circuit for Round 2 of the 2026 season, the Chinese Grand Prix from March 13-15—the first Sprint weekend of the year. Coming off George Russell's victory for Mercedes in Australia amid incidents for McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, here's the updated schedule (ET and local), weather, broadcast details, and more.
Following Mercedes' strong start in Australia with George Russell's win, teams like McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari aim to bounce back at the Shanghai International Circuit—a track with rich history since hosting F1 in 2004. This Sprint weekend introduces the format early in the season, with limited practice as drivers adapt to the new cars on the 11-team grid, including newcomers Cadillac.
Weekend Schedule:
- Thursday, March 12 (ET): Weekend Warmup 4:30 a.m., Practice 1 11:10 p.m.
- Friday, March 13 (ET): Sprint Qualifying 3:10 a.m., Sprint Race 10:15 p.m. (19 laps, ~100 km, ~30 min; top 8 score points). Local (Shanghai time, UTC+8): Free Practice 1 11:30, Sprint Qualifying 15:30.
- Saturday, March 14 (ET): Qualifying 2:25 a.m. Local: Sprint 11:00, GP Qualifying 15:00.
- Sunday, March 15 (ET): Main Race 3:00 a.m. (from 1:50 a.m.). Local: GP 15:00.
Sprint Qualifying uses a single one-hour practice, eliminating the six slowest in initial sessions.
Weather Outlook: Dry conditions expected with light winds (8.6-11.5 km/h). Temps: Fri 3-15°C, Sat 4.6-17°C (track ~33°C), Sun 7.8-19°C (track ~25°C), clear skies.
US Viewing (all live on Apple TV via exclusive 5-year deal): Includes F1 TV Premium at no extra cost ($12.99/mo or $99/yr, 7-day trial). Features onboard cameras, 4K/HDR, multiview (26 feeds), ad-free in multiple languages, covering F1, F2, F3, F1 Academy, Porsche Supercup. Live timing on F1.com/app; available on Roku, etc.
F1 Academy Schedule (local): Fri Practice/Qualifying 09:10/14:05; Sat Race 1 13:45; Sun Race 2 10:40.