Just three months after Lando Norris celebrated his first F1 driver’s title, we are set to go again, as the 2026 season bursts into life this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix. Motorsport maniacs all over the globe will eagerly be watching the action unfold from Albert Park in Melbourne.
There are three chances to see the F1 legends in action on United States’ soil this year: Miami Grand Prix (May), United States Grand Prix (October), and Las Vegas Grand Prix (November). However, the spotlight is currently on Australia, and it’s a late start for us, with the lights going green at 11 pm ET on Saturday (March 7).
Let GOAL give you all the important information you need ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, including the full schedule of events and how you can watch and stream every session live.
📺 How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026
Apple TV has taken over from ESPN as F1’s exclusive broadcast partner in the United States. It will deliver comprehensive coverage with all practice, qualifying races, sprint sessions, and Grand Prix available to Apple TV subscribers all season long. As part of this new collaboration, Netflix will also be streaming the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix live to US viewers in May.
There’s already a dedicated F1 channel in the Apple TV app, which is where you’ll be able to stream races live when the time comes. As part of Apple’s deal with F1, Apple TV subscribers also get F1 TV Premium for the 2026 season. Users must link their existing F1 TV account to their Apple TV account to unlock features like 4K UHD, live onboard cameras, and multi-view.
All F1 coverage is included in an Apple TV subscription, which costs $12.99 per month (or $99.99 annually). This premium, ad-free streaming service offers a 7-day free trial or can be included for 3 months for free with the purchase of new Apple devices.
Where is the Australian Grand Prix 2026 held?
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The F1 Australian Grand Prix has been held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne every year since 1996, with the exceptions of 2020 and 2021, when the races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before being staged at the Melbourne venue, the Australian Grand Prix was raced in Adelaide.
The Albert Park track, which consists of roads normally used by the public, is considered to be fast but relatively easy to drive, with the consistent placement of corners allowing drivers to easily learn the circuit and achieve competitive times. The Grand Prix regularly draws crowds of over 250,000 spectators, with last year's 2025 edition drawing a record high of over 465,498, with 131,547 of those attending on raceday Sunday.
Albert Park is the only venue to host the Australian Grand Prix in both F1 World Championship and non-World Championship formats. An earlier configuration of the current circuit was used for the race on two occasions during the 1950s, too.
Australian Grand Prix 2026 Weekend Schedule
The Australian Grand Prix 2026 runs over the full weekend, from Thursday, March 5, through Sunday, March 8. Practice, qualifying, and the race itself are spread out over four days. Below, you can find the timings for each practice session, qualifying, and the Grand Prix, as well as which channel to watch them on:
| Date | Session | Time (ET) | Watch/Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 5 | Practice 1 | 8:30 pm | Apple TV |
| Friday, March 6 | Practice 2 | 12 am | Apple TV |
| Friday, March 6 | Practice 3 | 8:30 pm | Apple TV |
| Saturday, March 7 | Qualifying | 12 am | Apple TV |
| Saturday, March 7 | Grand Prix | 11 pm | Apple TV |
What to expect from the Australian Grand Prix 2026
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The Australian Grand Prix has been a regular event on the F1 World Championship schedule since 1985. It was first held at the Adelaide Street Circuit and remained there for eleven years straight before being moved to its present location of Albert Park in Melbourne in 1996.
Michael Schumacher holds the record for most race wins at Albert Park, having topped the podium there four times (2000, 2001, 2002 & 2004). We’ve had six different winners in each of the last six editions, though, so expect the unexpected.
Anticipation is high amongst F1 fans all over the planet as we head into a brand new season, with a whole host of questions swirling around. Can Lando Norris maintain his momentum in his McLaren and, in so doing, become the first British driver to win his inaugural title and defend it successfully? Norris will be partnered by Aussie driver, Oscar Piastri, once again.
Will Mercedes, who have impressed pundits during pre-season testing, get off to a flyer when racing starts for real? Bookmakers have both their drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, as two of their top fancies for this campaign.
Are Ferrari, who amazingly haven’t won the drivers’ title since Kimi Raikkonen claimed the crown in 2007, going to be in contention for honours this season? Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton remain behind the wheel, and both will be looking to push on after finishing 5th and 6th, respectively, in 2025.
Max Verstappen's chances cannot be dismissed too lightly, of course, either. How will the dynamic Dutchman react after just falling short of clinching a record-equalling fifth straight drivers’ title last year?
While there have been no high-profile driver changes for the start of the 2026 season, there is a significant change in the pit lane. Cadillac became the first new team on the F1 grid for a decade (since Haas in 2016), with two former Australian Grand Prix winners, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, booked to drive for them.
Canada’s Lance Stroll remains at Team Aston Martin for the coming season, along with the former two-time F1 world champion, Fernando Alonso. Stroll has finished 4th, 6th, and 6th in his last three starts at the Australian Grand Prix, and he’ll be aiming to make another bright start to the new campaign.
With F1 undergoing arguably the biggest regulation shake-up in its history, all the drivers will need to adapt quickly if they are to hit the ground running this season. The major changes include an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, smaller, lighter cars, and the introduction of active aerodynamics.
Can I watch the 2026 Australian Grand Prix on demand?
If you have an Apple TV or F1 TV subscription, you can watch a re-run of the Australian Grand Prix on demand after the race has finished, through the channel's digital and online options. For mobile devices and personal tablets, the Apple TV app will allow viewers to watch back the race in full, allowing fans to revisit the event in total or bite-sized highlights packages. Likewise, the F1 TV service allows subscribers to enjoy full replays of every race during the 2026 Formula One season.
🛜 How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026 from anywhere with a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the Australian Grand Prix locally, you may need a different way to watch the race. That's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on race day, by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're travelling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet, or laptop to get access to race action. Most VPNs, like ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this. We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
