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Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen (R) leads in the first lap during the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit in Suzuka, Mie prefecture, Japan on April 6, 2025. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP via Getty Images)
It’s time for the third Grand Prix in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship calendar with the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix at the iconic Suzuka Circuit. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have had a strong start to the 2026 F1 season, though Ferrari and McLaren are close behind in the championship leaderboard. The third installment in the F1 season, the Japanese Grand Prix, will be the next chance for teams to cross the finish line and score points.
As an update in Formula 1 news, all April 2026 Grand Prix races have been canceled due to the rising tensions in the Middle East. This means that there are now two fewer Grand Prix races for the drivers to earn points in the overall championship. Both the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix and the 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix have been removed from the calendar, meaning that the next race after the Japanese GP will be the Miami Grand Prix on May 3, 2026.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Japanese GP – including when to tune in for the action-packed race. For a full schedule of the 2026 Formula 1 season, you can find all of the details here.
Basic Details & Overview of 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix
GettySUZUKA, JAPAN – APRIL 06: Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 leads George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy driving the (12) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 and the remainder of the field at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 06, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
Circuit Length: 5.807 km
Number of Laps: 53
Race Distance: 307.471 km
Fastest Lap Time: 1:30.965 (Kimi Antonelli, 2025)
First Japanese GP: 1987
Full Schedule For The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
GettySUZUKA, JAPAN – APRIL 06: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 takes the chequered flag during the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 06, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Practice 1
Date: March 26, 2026 (US Viewers), March 27, 2026 (Local Track Time)
Local Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Time for US Viewers: 10:30 – 11:30 PM ET / 9:30 – 10:30 PM CT
Practice 2
Date: March 27, 2026
Local Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Time for US Viewers: 2:00 – 3:00 AM ET / 1:00 – 2:00 AM CT
Practice 3
Date: March 27, 2026 (US Viewers), March 28, 2026 (Local Track Time)
Local Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Time for US Viewers: 10:30 – 11:30 PM ET / 9:30 – 10:30 PM CT
Qualifying
Date: March 28, 2026
Local Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Time for US Viewers: 2:00 – 3:00 AM ET / 1:00 – 2:00 AM CT
Race
Date: March 29, 2026
Local Time: 2:00 PM
Time for US Viewers: 1:00 AM ET / 12:00 AM CT
How to Watch The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
GettySUZUKA, JAPAN – APRIL 06: George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 leads Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy driving the (12) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 Isack Hadjar of France driving the (6) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 02 and the remainder of the field at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 06, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
There are two official platforms for watching the practice sessions, qualifying and race for the 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix. The first platform is the new dedicated Formula 1 channel on Apple TV, which viewers can access with a subscription or free trial. The second platform is the F1 TV Pro outlet. Viewers may also be able to watch live broadcasts on their TV networks by checking their local channel programming guides.
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