liveUpdated 2m agoFollow live updates from Formula 1 practice at the Spanish Grand Prix.The Athletic Live TeamSeptember 11, 2026 at 6:45 AM EDTThe Spanish GP in Madrid takes place on Sunday. Getty ImagesMadrid Grand Prix — latestThe final race of the European calendar gets underway in Formula 1 today with practice session beginning in Madrid.Madring is a new circuit this season and is a street track that promises entertaining racing.Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers' championship standings from George Russell coming into the weekend.FP1 start time: 1:30p.m. local/7:30 a.m. ET/ 3:30 a.m. PT Watch: Apple TV (U.S.) / Sky Sports (UK)Get in touch: live@theathletic.comSKIP ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementSubscribe to The Athletic The AthleticThere's no better time to subscribe to The Athletic as the F1 season reaches its final throes.We have plenty of drama to bring you as the Premier League and Champions League seasons have just begun in soccer and we also have the return of football with the NFL getting underway too.You can subscribe right now on an exclusive offer here.Where to watch the Madrid action on TV Getty ImagesWe are here for all your second screen needs and F1 insights, but we love watching sport and we know live pictures have their place too. So here’s where you can watch the track narratives unfold over the course of this opening race in Australia, alongside our live coverage:U.S.: Apple TVUK: Sky SportsCanada: TSNAustralia: Fox Sports, KayoThe venue: Madring The AthleticFor the first time since the 2023 Formula 1 season, a new track has been added to the calendar: Spain’s Madring.But the sport is no stranger to Madrid.It’s been 45 years since F1 raced in the country’s capital. The sport previously competed just shy of 19 miles north of Madrid, at Circuito del Jarama, and F1’s tenure at that track lasted from 1968 to 1981, though four of those years were spent at Montjuïc Circuit in Barcelona.The 22-corner track features heavy braking zones and some high-speed sections, with the track changing level in certain parts.Spanish Grand Prix weekend timings Getty ImagesWe have plenty of action to digest today, with the grand prix following on Sunday. This is when much of the magic will happen. Today begins with free practice. The green light goes on for FP1 at 1:30 p.m. in Madrid. That works out as:7:30 a.m. ET in the U.S.3:30 a.m. PT 12:30 p.m. BST in the UKQualifying for Sunday’s race then follows tomorrow, starting from 4 p.m. in Madrid. That means:10 a.m. ET in the U.S.7 a.m. PT 3 p.m. BST in the UKAs for lights out at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, that will be 3 p.m. local time, which means 2 p.m. in the UK and 9 a.m. ET.Hola, Madrid Getty ImagesHello and welcome to our live coverage for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, with the race having a new home in Madrid, the capital of Spain.The Madring is a 3.36-mile blast around the site of Madrid’s IFEMA Exhibition Center, which uses a blend of existing public roads and purpose-built racing track.It’s a fast course with plenty of turns, which has already led to many comparisons with the similar Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia.