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

Qualifying for the 2026 F1 Belgian Grand Prix at the historic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps takes place today (Saturday, July 18) where the fight for pole position will commence.

Max Verstappen will be hoping to beat the other 21 drivers to the top spot on the grid for Sunday's race, as will seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who holds the record for the most pole positions at Spa (six).

Verstappen has spent a lot of this season off the pace thanks to a struggling start for the energy drink giants under the new regulations, but after abandoning their 'macarena' rear wing and trying out different setups in practice on Friday, the Dutchman topped the timesheets early on.

His team-mate Isack Hadjar is one of three drivers who will be hoping to come out of qualifying as high up the finishing order as possible given he will have to start Sunday's race from the back of the grid.

Aston Martin star Lance Stroll and reigning champion Lando Norris will also have to settle for a major grid penalty on Sunday thanks to taking new parts on their machinery, with both drivers set to drop 10 places before lights out.

Despite being just one of two teams to not bring any upgrades this weekend, the Scuderia still look to be in the fight as they hope to close the gap even further to Mercedes in both championships.

With so much on the line in Spa, Saturday's qualifying session should produce incredible action at a track which is infamously tricky.

Find all the details on how to watch it live below.

READ MORE: Norris set for huge FIA penalty at Belgian Grand Prix

F1 Qualifying start time: Belgian Grand Prix

Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix takes place today (Saturday, July 18), starting at 4pm local time (CEST).

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

Belgian Grand Prix 2026 Session Times

Qualifying - Saturday, July 18, 2026

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:

*Apple TV currently offers a free seven-day trial for American fans, allowing them to tune into tall the action at the Belgian GP 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.

Want to enjoy smooth, uninterrupted viewing of F1 content? Click here to sign up to a secure network now with ExpressVPN.

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

READ MORE: Sky F1 powerhouse to miss Belgian Grand Prix

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton handed FIA penalty verdict after Ferrari mistake, major U-turn confirmed

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 that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, 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 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.

View full biography

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

Lewis Hamilton braced for brutal Belgian Grand Prix as Ferrari follow Aston Martin approach

• 5 minutes ago

Lewis Hamilton calls for Ferrari to 'crack the whip' at Belgian Grand Prix

• 2 hours ago

Red Bull, Aston Martin & McLaren handed FIA penalties at Belgian Grand Prix

• 3 hours ago

F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton handed FIA penalty verdict after Ferrari mistake, major U-turn confirmed

• 3 hours ago

Channel 4 F1 highlights today: How to watch the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix FREE

• Today 07:00

F1 Belgian Grand Prix 2026: How to watch the entire weekend live and free in the US

• Yesterday 21:57