What time the Belgian Grand Prix starts and how to follow
Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix starts at 14:00 BST (3pm local) at Spa-Francorchamps. If you need what time the Belgian race lights go out, that is the confirmed slot for the 44-lap contest. BBC commentary is on Sports Extra 2, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app, with a largely dry forecast and sunny intervals.
Key Takeaways
- Lights out for the Belgian Grand Prix is 14:00 BST on Sunday, 19 July 2026.
- BBC race audio is on Sports Extra 2, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport site and app, and smart speakers.
- Title leader Kimi Antonelli starts on pole ahead of Max Verstappen and George Russell.
- Conditions are expected to stay mostly dry, with a high around 21C, though Spa can still flip quickly.
What time does the Belgian Grand Prix start?
Round 10 of the 2026 Formula 1 season wraps at Spa-Francorchamps with a 44-lap race on Sunday. The start time is 14:00 BST, which is 3pm local time in Belgium.
That is the headline answer for fans asking what time the Belgian Grand Prix begins before the summer break double-header ends. Practice and qualifying ran across the 17–19 July weekend, with Sunday reserved for the main event.
For live blog coverage and grid context, outlets including The Guardian are tracking lights out at 2pm BST / 3pm CEST.
How can you follow the race on the BBC?
BBC Sport says race commentary is available across Sports Extra 2, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app. Listeners can also ask most smart speakers to "play Sports Extra 2".
The BBC also flags the Chequered Flag podcast, with the post-race show for every grand prix available to watch on BBC iPlayer for the first time this year. Full session timings and how-to-follow detail sit on the BBC Sport Belgian Grand Prix guide.
Need more TV and stream alerts like this? Browse our Streaming & TV Alerts category for similar race-day rundowns.
What is the weather forecast for Spa on race day?
According to BBC Sport, conditions should remain dry for Sunday's race, with sunny intervals and temperatures reaching a high of 21C. Friday was mainly dry, though light rain fell just after first practice finished.
Spa rarely stays boring. Live updates on race morning noted clouds rolling in and a chance of light rain around the start, while Verstappen told Sky Sports he did not think it would rain and Oscar Piastri said he would not be surprised if it did. Pack for changeable Ardennes weather either way.
Who starts where on the Belgian Grand Prix grid?
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli qualified on pole after topping both Friday and Saturday practice. He starts alongside Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with teammate George Russell third and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton fourth and fifth.
Lando Norris drops to 13th because of a 10-place grid penalty. Antonelli leads the championship, with Russell's recent form closing the gap after the British Grand Prix, so the Spa result matters for more than Sunday bragging rights.
Spa-Francorchamps will rotate on the F1 calendar with Barcelona from 2027 to 2032, making this weekend's trip to Belgium part of a shifting European stretch as well as a live title fight.