F1 Qualifying Time Today: Start Times & TV Schedule (2026)

Anyone who’s ever tried to catch F1 qualifying live knows the struggle: one race weekend has a sprint session, the next doesn’t, and time zones can turn a 3pm start into a midnight scramble; if you’re looking for today’s qualifying time, you’re in the right place. This guide uses official broadcaster schedules and the 2026 Formula 1 calendar to give you the exact start time for the Lenovo Canadian Grand Prix sprint qualifying on Friday, 22 May 2026 at 21:30 BST, with practical tips for converting times to your region.

Next qualifying session: Sprint Qualifying – Lenovo Canadian GP ·
Date: Friday, 22 May 2026 ·
Start time (BST): 21:30 ·
TV channel: Sky Sports F1 HD ·
Official source: Sky Sports F1 Schedule

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts

Sprint Qualifying on Friday 22 May at 21:30 BST (Sky Sports F1 Schedule)
Canadian GP is a sprint weekend with Friday practice and sprint qualifying (Sky Sports F1 Schedule) (Sky Sports F1 Schedule)

2What’s unclear

Exact race start time for Sunday 24 May 2026
Standard qualifying time for this weekend (not scheduled due to sprint format)

3Timeline signal

Practice 1: Friday 22 May at 17:30 BST (Sky Sports TV listings)
Sprint Qualifying: Friday 22 May at 21:30 BST (Sky Sports F1 Schedule)

4What’s next

Sprint Race: Saturday 23 May at 17:00 BST (Formula1.com)
Race: Sunday 24 May (time TBC) (Formula1.com)

Five key details, one pattern: every session time this weekend hinges on the sprint format.

Label	Value
Latest qualifying session	Not applicable (current weekend starts with Sprint Qualifying)
Next qualifying session	Sprint Qualifying – Canadian GP on Fri 22 May 21:30 BST
Standard qualifying (if applicable)	Not scheduled for this weekend
Broadcaster (UK)	Sky Sports F1
Streaming	F1 TV Pro, Sky Go

What time does F1 qualifying start?

Qualifying start times depend on the weekend format. A standard Grand Prix weekend holds one qualifying session on Saturday afternoon. But on a sprint weekend – like this one in Canada – there are two: sprint qualifying on Friday and traditional qualifying on Saturday. Today’s session is sprint qualifying, scheduled to begin at 21:30 BST on Friday 22 May, according to Sky Sports (UK F1 broadcaster). The 2026 Miami Grand Prix sprint qualifying followed the same pattern, starting at 21:30 BST (RacingNews365, independent F1 news site).

What time is qualifying for today’s session?

Session: Sprint Qualifying (SQ1, SQ2, SQ3)
Date: Friday 22 May 2026
Start time (BST): 21:30
Coverage: Sky Sports F1 HD shows SQ1 from 21:30, SQ2 from 21:49, SQ3 from 22:03 (Sky Sports TV listings)

What time is standard qualifying vs sprint qualifying?

Sprint qualifying is shorter than a standard Saturday qualifying session. It consists of three knockout segments – SQ1 (12 minutes), SQ2 (10 minutes), SQ3 (8 minutes) – with six drivers eliminated after SQ1 and another six after SQ2, leaving 10 to fight for sprint pole (RacingNews365). Standard qualifying, on the other hand, runs Q1 (18 min), Q2 (15 min), Q3 (12 min). The implication: if you’re looking for qualifying today, the sprint format moves it to Friday evening, so you won’t find a Saturday qualifying session this weekend.

The upshot

UK viewers can watch sprint qualifying live on Sky Sports F1 HD, but if you’re in the US, the same session starts at 4:30 PM ET on ESPN – a far more friendly hour for a Friday afternoon.

What time is F1 on TV today?

Friday’s broadcast schedule covers Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying. Here’s how the day maps out on UK and US screens:

Session	BST	ET	UK channel	US channel
Practice 1	17:30	12:30	Sky Sports F1	ESPN
Sprint Qualifying	21:30	16:30	Sky Sports F1	ESPN

Sky Sports F1 HD carries both sessions live (Sky Sports F1 Schedule), while ESPN picks up the qualifying action for US viewers (ESPN Racing Schedule (US sports network)).

What channel is F1 qualifying on?

UK: Sky Sports F1 HD (channel 406). Also stream via Sky Go.
US: ESPN / ESPN+. Also stream via F1 TV Pro.
Other regions: Check Formula1.com (official F1 site) for local broadcasters.

What time does qualifying air on Sky Sports F1?

Sky Sports F1’s TV listings confirm the exact segment start times for sprint qualifying: SQ1 at 21:30, SQ2 at 21:49, and SQ3 at 22:03 (Sky Sports TV listings). The pattern: for UK viewers, the entire session is broadcast live on the same channel, with no red button needed.

What time is the F1 race Sunday?

The Canadian Grand Prix race takes place on Sunday 24 May 2026, but the exact start time has not yet been confirmed by official sources (Formula1.com). Historically, the Canadian GP starts at 14:00 local time (EDT), which would be 19:00 BST – but until the official timetable is published, that remains a projection. What this means: until the race time is released, today’s sprint qualifying is the best anchor for planning your weekend.

What time is qualifying for each Grand Prix?

Qualifying times vary by race weekend and time zone. For the 2026 season, we have confirmed times for several events. Here are the sessions with published or widely reported start times:

Grand Prix	Qualifying type	Date (2026)	Local time	BST equivalent
Miami (USA)	Sprint Qualifying	Fri 1 May	21:30 EDT	01:30 (Sat)
Miami (USA)	Standard Qualifying	Sat 2 May	21:00 EDT	01:00 (Sun)
Dutch (Netherlands)	Sprint Qualifying	Fri 21 Aug	15:30 CEST	14:30
Dutch (Netherlands)	Standard Qualifying	Sat 22 Aug	15:00 CEST	14:00
United States (COTA)	Standard Qualifying	Sat 18 Oct	17:00 EDT	22:00
Monaco	Standard Qualifying	Sun 7 Jun	15:00 CEST	14:00

Sources: RacingNews365 (Miami), ESPN Racing Schedule (Dutch, US, Monaco), F1 Calendar (community-run schedule aggregator) (Dutch, Miami).

What time is China GP qualifying?

As of publication, the Chinese Grand Prix 2026 schedule has not been detailed by official broadcasters. Check Formula1.com once race dates are finalised.

What time is F1 Baku qualifying?

Similarly, Baku qualifying times for 2026 are not yet available. The race is expected later in the season; stay tuned to Sky Sports F1 Schedule for updates.

What time is Miami GP qualifying?

Miami’s sprint qualifying is listed at 21:30 EDT on Friday 1 May, and standard qualifying on Saturday 2 May at 21:00 EDT (RacingNews365).

What time is Mexico GP qualifying?

Mexico City qualifying times for 2026 are pending; the race typically runs in late October. Monitor ESPN Racing Schedule closer to the event.

What time is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (qualifying)?

No 2026 Azerbaijan qualifying time has been published yet. Standard qualifying for past editions has been at 16:00 local time (13:00 BST), but this is speculative.

Bottom line: The trade-off: knowing one qualifying time doesn’t help for the next race – each event requires a fresh check, which is why this guide focuses on today’s session.

How can I watch F1 qualifying live?

Depending on your location, you have several options to watch today’s sprint qualifying:

UK: Live on Sky Sports F1 HD (channel 406) or stream via Sky Go. Audio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live (UK public broadcaster).
US: ESPN and ESPN+ (live stream).
Streaming: F1 TV Pro (official F1 streaming service) offers live coverage in most markets, with on-demand replays.
Other regions: Visit Formula1.com for a full list of official broadcasters.

The catch

F1 TV Pro offers live streaming in most markets, but it does not include Sky’s expert commentary team – so UK fans may want to stick with Sky Go for the full experience.

The pattern: whichever platform you choose, the session starts at 21:30 BST.

Timeline: Canadian GP sprint weekend

Friday 22 May 2026: Practice 1 (17:30 BST) and Sprint Qualifying (21:30 BST) (Sky Sports F1 Schedule)
Saturday 23 May 2026: Sprint (17:00 BST) (Formula1.com)
Sunday 24 May 2026: Race (time TBC from official sources)

What’s clear, what’s not

Confirmed facts

Sprint Qualifying on Friday 22 May at 21:30 BST (Sky Sports F1 Schedule)

What’s unclear

Exact race start time for Sunday 24 May 2026
Standard qualifying time for this weekend (not scheduled)

“The Lenovo Canadian Grand Prix sprint qualifying starts at 9:30pm on Friday 22 May, with coverage splitting across SQ1, SQ2, and SQ3.”

Sky Sports F1 Schedule (UK F1 broadcaster)

“The 2026 Formula 1 calendar is the definitive source for race dates and session formats across all 24 Grands Prix.”

Formula1.com (official F1 governing body)

For fans tracking the Canadian Grand Prix, the choice is clear: mark Friday 22 May 21:30 BST for sprint qualifying, or miss the only qualifying session of the weekend. Convert that to your local time now – your weekend viewing starts tonight.

Additional sources

skysports.com, fancode.com, espn.com

For viewers in the UK, it’s worth checking the F1 qualifying time in the UK for the exact broadcast schedule across different time zones.

Frequently asked questions

How long does F1 qualifying last?

Standard qualifying lasts about 60 minutes (Q1: 18 min, Q2: 15 min, Q3: 12 min). Sprint qualifying is shorter, at roughly 30 minutes total (SQ1: 12 min, SQ2: 10 min, SQ3: 8 min).

What time is sprint qualifying on Saturday?

This weekend sprint qualifying is on Friday, not Saturday. The Sprint Race itself is on Saturday 23 May at 17:00 BST.

Can I watch F1 qualifying on the BBC?

The BBC does not have live TV rights in the UK; it only provides audio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live. For live video, you need Sky Sports F1 or F1 TV Pro.

Is F1 qualifying the same time every week?

No. Start times vary by Grand Prix, time zone, and whether the weekend includes a sprint. Always check the official schedule for the specific race.

How do I convert qualifying times to my time zone?

Use a time zone converter (e.g., timeanddate.com) with the known BST or local start time. For today: 21:30 BST = 16:30 ET = 22:30 CEST.

What is the difference between standard qualifying and sprint qualifying?

Standard qualifying sets the grid for the main race on Sunday. Sprint qualifying (Friday) sets the grid for the Sprint Race (Saturday), which then partly influences Sunday’s grid. Sprint qualifying is shorter and uses a different session structure.

Who sets the F1 qualifying schedule?

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Formula One Management (FOM) finalise the schedule before each season, with input from broadcasters and circuit promoters.