Formula 1 faces the first of the two races to be held this year in Spain. The Montmeló circuit is already ready to host the Gran Premio de Barcelona-Cataluña, surrounded by much controversy because it will coincide in date and time with the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, without anyone having managed to prevent it.
On the sporting side, Mercedes seems clearly ahead, although this will be the first regular circuit where racing will be run with the new compression measurement, so we will really see to what extent it has affected them. So it is time to start getting to know the schedules and where the race can be watched on TV and online.
The Barcelona start coincides with the end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Formula 1 arrives in Barcelona with swords drawn. Kimi Antonelli is the World Championship leader after winning in Monaco for the fifth time in a row, and the question begins to be when he will win the title. His lead stands at 66 points over Lewis Hamilton, who is now second in the standings after George Russell’s latest flop.
After seeing him win even in Monaco, it seems unlikely that Mercedes won’t be the favorite in Barcelona. Perhaps the question is whether George Russell will finally understand that car and start challenging Antonelli before it is too late even to fight for the title. Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull will be scrapping for the scraps.
Barcelona will be the first home race for Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, although in both cases there isn’t much optimism. For Aston Martin, the good result in Monaco was a mere mirage due to chaos on the track, while Williams also shouldn’t expect many joys, though with luck they might grab a few points.
In Catalonia we keep the usual European timings, which is not without controversy. The Sunday race will be at 15:00, but the qualifying remains one hour later, at 16:00 on Saturday. The problem is that it clashes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which starts on Saturday at 16:00 and ends on Sunday just as Formula 1 reaches its halfway point.
The weather forecast does not bode well for shocks in Barcelona, as there is hardly any rain forecast for the entire weekend. In fact, average temperatures are expected at Montmeló. To watch the race on TV in Spain there are three options, since besides the paid options there will also be a free-to-air broadcast on Telecinco.
DAZN continues to hold exclusive TV rights for Formula 1 in Spain, but Movistar Plus+ will continue to pick up its signal through DAZN’s thematic channels.
Barcelona-Catalonia GP 2026 Schedules
- Friday 12
– (P1) Practice 1: 13:30 (DAZN, Movistar Plus+, Telecinco)
– (P2) Practice 2: 17:00 (DAZN, Movistar Plus+, Telecinco)
- Saturday 13
– (P3) Practice 3: 12:30 (DAZN, Movistar Plus+, Telecinco)
– (Q) Qualifying: 16:00 (DAZN, Movistar Plus+, Telecinco)
- Sunday 14
– (RAC) Race: 15:00 (DAZN, Movistar Plus+, Telecinco)
Images | McLaren, Red Bull
