Qualifying for the 2026 F1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring takes place today (Saturday, June 27) with 22 drivers locked in a thrilling battle for pole.
F1 is at Spielberg in the Styrian Alps this weekend, a race that has become like a second home race for Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman is often cheered vociferously at the home of Red Bull Racing, with his massive orange army of fans out in full force.
Verstappen is a four-time winner at the circuit, but has not won there since 2023, and will need a mighty showing to change that in 2026.
His Red Bull team have struggled so far compared with the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes, although Verstappen has still shown some impressive qualifying performances in 2026. And with a big package of upgrades coming this weekend, rule him out at your peril.
The Dutchman could be in a fight for pole on Saturday alongside Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell and McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
It should produce incredible action and we have all the detail you need on how to watch it live.
Stream your favourite content with ExpressVPN and enjoy smooth, uninterrupted viewing. Click here to sign up to a secure network now.
F1 Qualifying start time: Austrian Grand Prix
Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix takes place today (Saturday, June 27), starting at 4pm local time (CEST).
Find the qualifying session start time converted to your local time zone below:
Austrian Grand Prix 2026 Session Times
Qualifying - Saturday, June 27, 2026
| Location | Time |
|---|---|
| Local time (CEST) | 16:00 Saturday |
| British Summer Time (BST) | 15:00 Saturday |
| United States (ET) | 10:00 Saturday |
| United States (CT) | 09:00 Saturday |
| United States (PT) | 07:00 Saturday | Brazil (BRT) | 11:00 Saturday |
| Australia (AWST) | 22:00 Saturday |
| Australia (ACT) | 23:30 Saturday |
| Australia (AET) | 00:00 Sunday |
| Mexico (CST) | 08:00 Saturday |
| Japan (JST) | 23:00 Saturday |
| China (CST) | 22:00 Saturday |
| South Africa (SAST) | 16:00 Saturday |
| Egypt (EEST) | 17:00 Saturday |
| India (IST) | 19:30 Saturday |
| Singapore (SGT) | 22:00 Saturday |
| Turkey (TRT) | 17:00 Saturday |
| United Arab Emirates (GST) | 18:00 Saturday | Saudi Arabia (AST) | 17:00 Saturday |
How to watch qualifying live on TV
Broadcast details vary depending on your location. Check below to see how to tune in for your region:
| Region/Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports |
| *United States | Apple TV |
| China | Shanghai TV, Guandong Television Channel, Tencent |
| Italy | Sky Italia |
| Netherlands | Viaplay, Viaplay Xtra |
| 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 |
*Apple TV currently offers a free seven-day trial for American fans, but for the Austrian GP, the streaming service is opening up their coverage of the race to non-subscribers, meaning fans in the US can watch all the action entirely free of charge.
To sign up to Apple TV, click here.
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.
READ MORE: Max Verstappen manager fires chilling Red Bull warning
READ MORE: Russell announces major contract news: 'I can confirm 100 percent'


