The brand new F1 season continues in earnest, as the driving stars and their stunning cars arrive in China for Grand Prix No.2 of a long and enthralling 24-race schedule. The Shanghai International Circuit is once again the venue and Britain’s George Russell arrives there aiming to build on his and Mercedes’ perfect start to the new season.
There are three chances to see the F1 legends in action on United States’ soil this year: Miami Grand Prix (May), United States Grand Prix (October) and Las Vegas Grand Prix (November). However, the spotlight is currently on China and it’s a late/very early start for us, with the lights going green at 2 am ET on Sunday (March 15).
Let GOAL give you all the important information you need ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, including the full schedule of events and how you can watch and stream every session live.
📺 How to watch the Chinese Grand Prix 2026
Apple TV has taken over from ESPN as F1’s exclusive broadcast partner in the United States. It will deliver comprehensive coverage with all practice, qualifying races, sprint sessions, and Grand Prix available to Apple TV subscribers all season long. As part of this new collaboration, Netflix will also be streaming the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix live to US viewers in May.
There’s already a dedicated F1 channel in the Apple TV app, which is where you’ll be able to stream races live when the time comes. As part of Apple’s deal with F1, Apple TV subscribers also get F1 TV Premium for the 2026 season. Users must link their existing F1 TV account to their Apple TV account to unlock features like 4K UHD, live onboard cameras, and multi-view.
All F1 coverage is included in an Apple TV subscription, which costs $12.99 per month (or $99.99 annually). This premium, ad-free streaming service offers a 7-day free trial or can be included for 3 months for free with the purchase of new Apple devices.
Where is the Chinese Grand Prix 2026 held?
The F1 Chinese Grand Prix has been held at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai every year since its inception in 2004, with the exception of the period 2020-2023, when the races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The circuit is located in the Jiading District of Shanghai and as well as hosting the F1 Grand Prix, it's also now the venue for the Shanghai ePrix, numerous domestic car racing events and a world-class outdoor go-karting track. The main grandstand which features wing-like viewing platforms crossing the circuit at either end, can hold 30,000 spectators, which is almost a quarter of the total circuit capacity of 200,000.
Chinese Grand Prix 2026 Weekend Schedule
The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix runs over the whole weekend, from Thursday, March 12, through Sunday, March 15 with practice, sprint qualifying, the sprint race, qualifying, and the race itself spread out over that period.
Below, you can find all those session timings, as well as which platform to watch them on:
| Date | Session | Time (ET) | Watch/Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 12 | Practice 1 | 10:30 pm | Apple TV |
| Friday, March 13 | Sprint Qualifying | 2.30 am | Apple TV |
| Friday, March 13 | Sprint | 10 pm | Apple TV |
| Saturday, March 14 | Qualifying | 2 am | Apple TV |
| Sunday, March 15 | Grand Prix | 2 am | Apple TV |
What to expect from the Chinese Grand Prix 2026
What a difference a few months make in the world of Formula 1. Back in December, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri were vying for the 2025 Drivers’ Championship title, but all were off the pace last weekend (Piastri didn’t even get to the starting grid).
As expected from their performances in pre-season testing, Mercedes are the current stars of the show. George Russell claimed pole and the race win in Australia, but his 19-year-old Italian sidekick, Kimi Antonelli shadowed him for most of the weekend and is looking like he could be a formidable foe over the coming season.
While the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton weren’t in contention for top spot on the podium in Melbourne, they pushed the Mercedes duo the hardest of all. The prancing horses look to have improved from last year or are dealing with the new rules and regulations better than other teams.
Hamilton will now look to build on that solid start and despite his post-race disqualification in China last year, he will always have fond memories whenever he steps on the tarmac at the Shanghai International Circuit. The former 7-time world champion took the chequered flag there six times between 2008-2019.
That’s four victories ahead of the other two previous multiple winners in Shanghai, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg. While Hamilton may have excelled, all those wins came for either McLaren or Mercedes and you have to go back to 2013 for the last time a Ferrari driver (Alonso) took the honours in China.
The spotlight now falls on George Russell to see if he can reproduce his stellar form from last weekend. While he notched his 6th grand prix victory in Melbourne, he is yet to secure back-to-back wins during his F1 career.
Russell will take confidence from his performance in China twelve months ago though. After clocking the second fastest time during Shanghai qualifying, the Mercedes man would go on to finish 3rd in the main race.
Can I watch the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix on demand?
If you have an Apple TV or F1 TV subscription, you can watch a re-run of the Chinese Grand Prix on demand after the race has finished, through the channel's digital and online options. For mobile devices and personal tablets, the Apple TV app will allow viewers to watch back the race in full, allowing fans to revisit the event in total or bite-sized highlights packages. Likewise, the F1 TV service allows subscribers to enjoy full replays of every race during the 2026 Formula One season.
🛜 How to watch the Chinese Grand Prix 2026 from anywhere with a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the Chinese Grand Prix locally, you may need a different way to watch the race. That's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on race day, by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're travelling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet, or laptop to get access to race action. Most VPNs, like ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this. We recommend ExpressVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
