Australian Grand Prix 2026

Round 1 of 22 · Albert Park Circuit · March 6–8, 2026

Race Start

Saturday, March 7 at 11:00 PM EST
--:--:--
 
📅 Add This Race to Calendar Add Full 2026 Season

Free .ics download — sessions appear in your local time in Google, Apple & Outlook calendars.

Session Times (US Time Zones)

Session Eastern Central Mountain Pacific
Practice 1 Thu, Mar 5, 9:30 PM EST Thu, Mar 5, 8:30 PM CST Thu, Mar 5, 7:30 PM MST Thu, Mar 5, 6:30 PM PST
Practice 2 Fri, Mar 6, 1:00 AM EST Fri, Mar 6, 12:00 AM CST Thu, Mar 5, 11:00 PM MST Thu, Mar 5, 10:00 PM PST
Practice 3 Fri, Mar 6, 8:30 PM EST Fri, Mar 6, 7:30 PM CST Fri, Mar 6, 6:30 PM MST Fri, Mar 6, 5:30 PM PST
Qualifying Sat, Mar 7, 12:00 AM EST Fri, Mar 6, 11:00 PM CST Fri, Mar 6, 10:00 PM MST Fri, Mar 6, 9:00 PM PST
Race Sat, Mar 7, 11:00 PM EST Sat, Mar 7, 10:00 PM CST Sat, Mar 7, 9:00 PM MST Sat, Mar 7, 8:00 PM PST

Circuit Guide

The 2026 season opens where modern F1 traditions begin: Albert Park in Melbourne. The semi-permanent parkland circuit winds around a lake and rewards confidence over its fast, flowing middle sector. As the first race of the all-new 2026 regulations era, this is the weekend the entire grid finds out who got the new cars right — expect the form book to be rewritten in a single afternoon.

Circuit
Albert Park Circuit
Length
5.278 km
Laps
58
Corners
14
First GP
1996
Local Start
3:00 PM (Melbourne)

Watching from the US

Melbourne is brutal for US fans: the race goes green on Saturday night/Sunday very early morning in American time zones. Set an alarm or record it — season openers are the one race you don't want spoiled before breakfast. The good news: it's a one-time sacrifice, as most of the season runs at far friendlier hours.