F1 Qualifying Today: Australian Grand Prix 2026 start times, schedule, TV channel and FREE live stream

The first qualifying session of the F1 2026 championship gets underway today (Saturday, March 7) in Melbourne, so here is all you need to know about how to watch the first competitive session at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, live on air.

This year there was extensive pre-season testing to allow the 22 drivers and 11 teams to get to grips with their new machinery which features a much bigger focus on electrical energy.

As part of the chassis and power unit regulations overhaul for 2026, an almost 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the 350kW electrical MGU-K system has been introduced, something which four-time champion Max Verstappen has raised concerns about.

Another element of F1 that has been refreshed for the new season is the qualifying format, which will retain its three-part knockout structure (Q1, Q2 and Q3) but with a slight tweak to the timings split. See our full explanation here.

After seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was the only driver to appear in the top four of both FP1 and FP2 on Friday, will the 41-year-old be able to continue to impress behind the wheel of his new Ferrari on Saturday, or will his qualifying woes of recent years persist?

Tune in to the first qualifying session of the year to find out! F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton avoids major crash as McLaren star tops day one of 2026 season

F1 Qualifying Times - 2026 Australian Grand Prix

Qualifying for the F1 2026 Australian GP takes place today (Saturday, March 7) at 16:00 local time (AEDT), which is 05:00 GMT.

Find the qualifying start time converted to your local time zone below:

Australian Grand Prix 2026 Session Times

Qualifying - Saturday, March 7, 2026

How to watch the 2026 Australian Grand Prix qualifying live on TV today

Broadcast details vary depending on your location. Check below to see how to tune in for some major countries:

Where to watch: F1 2026 broadcasters by region

* F1 fans in Australia can watch a FREE live stream of every session at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix thanks to coverage on Network Ten.

* F1 fans in the US can access a 7-day free trial to the coverage on Apple TV, which now has rights instead of ESPN from 2026 onwards.

F1TV Pro also carries coverage of the sport, depending on which territory you are in.

READ MORE: Aston Martin set to DNF at Australian Grand Prix as Alonso and Stroll fear nerve damage

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here she realised her background in journalism and love of motorsport could be combined, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work more closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan which she hopes to build on.

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