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

Max Verstappen, generic, Canada, 2026, Red Bull — Photo: © IMAGO

Canadian Grand Prix

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

How to watch qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 23 May 2026 11:57

See you later sprint! It's time for F1® qualifying for the main race at the Canadian Grand Prix and here's how you can watch it for FREE!

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has hosted many iconic races over the years, from Lewis Hamilton's first ever race victory to Jenson Button's gruelling journey to glory in F1's longest ever race.

Now, the brand new F1 cars will race in Montreal for the first time as we enjoy one last stop off in North America before strapping in for the European stint of the season.

Article continues under video

Can George Russell gain the upper hand over team-mate Kimi Antonelli? Or will McLaren and Ferrari have something to say about the Mercedes party?

To celebrate the Canadian GP, the F1 Store is offering 25 per cent off selected lines until 5pm BST on Monday, May 25, with code: CANADA25. No luck finding the item you’re after? GPFans have you covered with an exclusive reader discount. Use code: GPFANS17 to get up to 17 per cent off all lines.

F1 Qualifying Times - 2026 Canadian Grand Prix

After all the sprint action earlier in the day, qualifying gets underway at 16:00 local time (ET) on Saturday, May 23 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

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

Canadian Grand Prix 2026 Session Times

Qualifying - Saturday, May 23, 2026

Location	Time
Local time (ET)	16:00 Saturday
British Summer Time (BST)	21:00 Saturday
Central European Summer Time (CEST)	22:00 Saturday
United States (CT)	15:00 Saturday
United States (PT)	13:00 Saturday
Brazil (BRT)	17:00 Saturday
Australia (AWST)	04:00 Sunday
Australia (ACT)	05:30 Sunday
Australia (AET)	06:00 Sunday
Mexico (CST)	14:00 Saturday
Japan (JST)	05:00 Sunday
China (CST)	04:00 Sunday
South Africa (SAST)	22:00 Saturday
Egypt (EEST)	23:00 Saturday
India (IST)	01:30 Sunday
Singapore (SGT)	04:00 Sunday
Turkey (TRT)	23:00 Saturday
United Arab Emirates (GST)	00:00 Sunday
Saudi Arabia (AST)	23:00 Saturday

How to watch the 2026 Canadian 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

Region/Country	Broadcaster(s)
United Kingdom	Sky Sports
*United States	Apple TV
Italy	Sky Italia
Netherlands	Viaplay, Viaplay Xtra
China	Shanghai TV, Guandong Television Channel, Tencent
Japan	Fuji TV, DAZN
Australia	Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo, Network Ten
Spain	DAZN
Canada	RDS, TSN
Germany	Sky Deutschland, RTL
France	Canal+
Belgium	RTBF, Telenet
Luxembourg	RTL Lux, Sky DE
Mexico	Fox Sports Mexico
Singapore	beIN SPORTS
Hungary	M4 Sport
Brazil	Bandeirantes
Austria	Servus TV, ORF
Middle East & Turkey	beIN SPORTS
Africa	SuperSport
Latin America	ESPN

* - A free seven-day trial of Apple TV is available for fans in the US, allowing them to watch F1 for free this weekend.

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

Please note if you click on a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

F1 Canadian Grand Prix