F1 British GP: Saturday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch

What time the sprint and qualifying start at the 2026 Formula 1 British grand prix, plus the full Silverstone schedule, weather forecast and how to watch live

Formula 1 heads into Saturday at Silverstone with Lewis Hamilton on sprint pole after edging Kimi Antonelli in a tight sprint qualifying session at the British GP.

Hamilton beat the Mercedes championship leader by just 0.011s to take his first sprint pole since last year’s Chinese grand prix. Max Verstappen starts third, ahead of Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris.

Saturday brings the sprint race followed by qualifying for Sunday’s British Grand Prix, with the home crowd watching Hamilton, Russell and Norris all in the mix. Here is everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s running at Silverstone.

How can I watch the F1 British GP?

Broadcast coverage of Formula 1 varies by region. For viewers in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports continues as the championship’s exclusive broadcaster, showing every session live throughout the 2026 season.

F1 coverage can also be streamed via Sky Go or NOW, and the British GP is the only race of the year that is broadcast live free-to-air on Channel 4 all weekend.

In the United States, Apple TV is the primary broadcast partner for the 2026 season, with all sessions available on the platform following a multi-year deal. F1 TV remains the series’ global subscription streaming service.

Motorsport.com will provide live coverage and updates throughout the British GP weekend.

F1 British GP Saturday schedule

Times local to Silverstone:
Saturday, July 4 — sprint — 12:00pm BST
Saturday, July 4 — qualifying — 4:00pm BST

For Central European viewers:
Saturday, July 4 — sprint — 1:00pm CEST
Saturday, July 4 — qualifying — 5:00pm CEST

For US Eastern Time viewers:
Saturday, July 4 — sprint — 7:00am ET
Saturday, July 4 — qualifying — 11:00am ET

F1 British GP full weekend schedule

All times local to Silverstone:

Friday, July 3 — free practice 1 — 12:30pm BST
Friday, July 3 — sprint qualifying — 4:30pm BST
Saturday, July 4 — sprint — 12:00pm BST
Saturday, July 4 — qualifying — 4:00pm BST
Sunday, July 5 — 2026 British Grand Prix — 3:00pm BST

British GP Saturday weather forecast

Saturday is expected to be warm and mostly dry at Silverstone, with some sunshine and a breeze possible through the afternoon.

That should give teams a fairly stable day for the sprint and qualifying, though wind can still make life difficult around Silverstone’s faster corners. With little sign of rain, the main focus should be on race pace in the sprint and how quickly teams can reset for qualifying later in the day.

July 5 is forecast to be slightly warmer at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, with tyre life and race pace crucial factors for the win on Sunday.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Photo by: James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images

British GP track facts

Circuit: Silverstone
Location: Silverstone, United Kingdom
Event: British GP
Circuit type: permanent road course
Friday sessions: free practice 1 and sprint qualifying
Saturday sessions: sprint and qualifying
Race: Sunday, July 5

Silverstone is one of Formula 1’s fastest and most historic circuits, with high-speed corners and quick direction changes that place a premium on balance, confidence and aerodynamic performance.