Sprint Weekend · Mar 13-15
Full race weekend timetable for the Chinese Grand Prix 2026. All times shown in your local timezone — select a different timezone below to convert. This is a sprint weekend with Sprint Qualifying on Friday and Sprint Race on Saturday.
Race weekend complete
Friday · March 13
Saturday · March 14
Sunday · March 15
Race times are approximate. Timezone offsets may vary due to daylight saving time.
Qualifying: Saturday, March 14 at 16:00 CST, UTC+8
F1 qualifying uses a three-part knockout format to set the grid for the Grand Prix:
The entire qualifying session lasts approximately one hour including breaks between segments. The Grand Prix starts Sunday, March 15 at 14:00 CST, UTC+8.
Sprint Qualifying: Friday, March 13 at 16:30 CST, UTC+8
Sprint Race: Saturday, March 14 at 12:00 CST, UTC+8
Sprint weekends replace Friday's second practice with Sprint Qualifying (also called Sprint Shootout). The format mirrors standard qualifying (SQ1/SQ2/SQ3) but with shorter sessions — 12, 10, and 8 minutes respectively.
The Sprint Race runs on Saturday over approximately 100 km (about one-third of a full race distance, typically 17–24 laps). The top 8 finishers score points (8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1). No mandatory pit stops required.