Austrian Grand Prix 2026: How to watch, F1 race and qualifying times, and Styria weather forecast

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Formula 1 is off to the Red Bull Ring for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, so here is everything that you need to know ahead of round eight of the season in Styria.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli goes to the Austrian GP leading the 2026 F1 drivers’ standings with a 41-point lead over Lewis Hamilton. Yet it is the latter who will arrive in Austria with the most momentum, after he secured his first Grand Prix win with Ferrari last time out in Barcelona.

Hamilton won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix to hand Ferrari their first win of the year, after utilising a three-stop strategy to deny Mercedes rival George Russell. Antonelli was set to at least claim second place after overtaking Russell, but he retired with an electrical issue.

Many now believe the Red Bull Ring may mark the proving ground for what might become a genuine F1 drivers’ championship battle between Antonelli and Hamilton. Ferrari are due to debut an upgraded engine in Austria that their simulations show is worth 0.2 seconds a lap.

With that in mind, F1 Oversteer has taken a look at everything that you need to know ahead of the 2026 Austrian GP, including how to watch the on-track action from the Red Bull Ring…

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When is the 2026 F1 Austrian Grand Prix? Full Red Bull Ring race weekend schedule

The 2026 Austrian Grand Prix falls in round eight of the season, and will take place between Friday, June 26 and Sunday, June 28. Formula 1 has scheduled the 2026 Austrian GP to run a total of 71 laps due to the short track layout, giving the race a distance of 307km (190.7mi).

How to watch the 2026 F1 Austrian Grand Prix live on TV in the UK, and where to find free highlights

Sky Sports is the exclusive home of live Formula 1 coverage on TV in the UK, and will offer its normal race weekend broadcast package for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix. Channel 4 will also broadcast highlights of qualifying and the Austrian GP for free later in the relevant days.

BBC Sport will also have exclusive live Formula 1 radio commentary throughout the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. The BBC’s radio coverage from the Red Bull Ring will be aired all across the weekend, but will be spread over the BBC Sports Extra and BBC Radio 5 Live networks.

What is the weather forecast for the 2026 F1 Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring?

The weather forecast for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix shows a largely dry weekend for the Red Bull Ring, but there is a small chance of rain for qualifying and the race. In large ahead of the event, the majority of the rain forecast for Styria is due to avoid F1’s on-track action.

For practice at the Austrian GP this Friday, the forecast shows sunny conditions throughout the day with lows of 15°C and highs of 32°C. There is zero rain currently on Friday’s forecast, while wind levels are expected to reach around nine to 10mph for FP2 in the early evening.

Similarly for Saturday, sunny conditions are forecast all throughout the final practice session but there is a chance of rain affecting qualifying for the Austrian GP. While rain is unlikely for qualifying, the forecast ahead of the Austrian GP shows an 11% chance for the start of quali.

Despite the small chance of rain being on the pre-event forecast, qualifying is set to see the hottest conditions on Saturday at the Austrian GP – with the low for the day set to be 16°C, and the high 33°C. Highs of 33°C are also forecast for the race, amid a 30% chance of rain.

The Austrian GP falls during the worst window for the potential rain on the forecast to fall during the race on Sunday. Ahead of the event, the forecast shows a 10% chance of rain at 09:00 rising to 31% at 13:00, before reaching 32% at 15:00, 35% at 18:00 and 38% at 19:00.

Where is the 2026 F1 Austrian Grand Prix held?

The 2026 F1 Austrian Grand Prix will be held at the Red Bull Ring in Styria. The track, which is today owned by Red Bull, has held every F1 race in Austria since 1970, but it has not been a permanent part of the calendar. F1 returned to the Red Bull Ring in 2014 after reviving the Austrian GP following a 10-year absence due to the circuit needing to be vastly overhauled.

The Red Bull Ring is one of the shortest circuits on F1’s calendar, and the track’s high-speed layout also makes it one of the shortest in terms of time. McLaren star Oscar Piastri set the race lap record for the 4.326 km (2.688mi) Red Bull Ring in 2025, with a time of 1:07.924.

Who won the last F1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in 2025?

McLaren enjoyed a perfect weekend at the last Austrian Grand Prix in 2025, as Lando Norris recorded pole position and converted it into the win in a one-two ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri by 2.695 seconds. Norris secured pole for the 2025 Austrian GP with a 1:03.971 lap.