when is the china grand prix 2026
The 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai is scheduled for Sunday, 15 March 2026, with the race at 15:00 local time (UTC+8).
Quick Scoop: China Grand Prix 2026
- Race day: 15 March 2026 (Sunday).
- Location: Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China.
- Local race start time: 15:00 (UTC+8).
- Weekend dates: 13–15 March 2026 (Friday to Sunday).
- It’s round 2 of the 2026 F1 World Championship and a sprint weekend.
Weekend format at a glance
- Friday 13 March: Free Practice 1, Sprint Qualifying.
- Saturday 14 March: Sprint race, Grand Prix Qualifying.
- Sunday 15 March: Main Grand Prix, 56 laps of the 5.451 km Shanghai circuit.
Key timings (GMT / local)
- Sprint (Saturday): around 03:00 GMT (11:00 local).
- Qualifying (Saturday): around 07:00 GMT (15:00 local).
- Race (Sunday): 07:00 GMT / 15:00 local.
Simple date table
| Day | Session | Date (2026) | Local time (Shanghai) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | Practice & Sprint Qualifying | 13 March | From late morning |
| Saturday | Sprint & Qualifying | 14 March | Sprint ~11:00, Quali ~15:00 |
| Sunday | Race | 15 March | 15:00 (UTC+8) |
Trending/context note
The 2026 China Grand Prix is drawing extra attention as the first sprint weekend of the new 2026 rules era, coming right after the season opener and giving teams very little time to adapt to their radically updated cars.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
