Spanish Grand Prix qualifying – Start time, how to watch, channel & more

Formula 1 teams are all too familiar with Barcelona, having completed two pre-seasons tests at the venue in February.

The circuit favours cars that are able to produce high downforce, making Mercedes immediately the favourite for pole position.

The German manufacturer has been unbeatable in qualifying so far, taking pole positions in each of the five races. Lewis Hamilton leads the intra-Mercedes team battle in qualifying, with three pole positions compared to two for Valtteri Bottas. 

Red Bull is again expected to be Mercedes' closest challenger on one-lap pace, with Racing Point - and possibly even Renault - not too far behind in the pecking order.

As again, qualifying will be divided into three segments. All 20 drivers with head to the track in Q1, with the 15 fastest drivers progressing into the second part of qualifying. The field will again be trimmed by five cars in Q2 for the all-important Q3 session, which will decide the order for the first half of the grid.

What time does qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix start?

The Spanish GP qualifying will get underway at 3pm CEST in Barcelona. The three-part session will last approximately one hour.

• Date: Saturday, August 15 2020 
• Start time: 2pm BST / 3pm CEST / 9am ET / 6am PT / 10pm JST / 11pm AEST / 6:30pm IST

Can’t find your country or region in the list? Check the schedule page for the broadcast times in your local timezone.

How can I watch qualifying?

Formula 1 is broadcast live in nearly every country around the world. 

Europe: Sky Sports F1 will broadcast Spanish GP qualifying in both the UK and Italy. RTL will show qualifying in Germany, Movistar will telecast it in Spain and Canal+ will carry the coverage in France.

North America: Qualifying will be broadcast in the US on ESPN, in Mexico on Tudn and in Canada on TSN/RDS.

Asia: Most of Asia is covered by Fox Sports, including India where F1 is broadcast by sister channel Star Sports Select 2. Fuji TV Next will carry live qualifying coverage in Japan. 

Oceanica: Fox Sports 506 will bring live coverage of qualifying to viewers in Australia. Spark Sport will show qualifying in New Zealand.

Can I stream qualifying?

Viewers from selected countries can subscribe to F1 TV to stream qualifying on a device of their choice. Some local broadcasters such as Sky TV (UK) and Movistar (Spain) also offer their own on-demand service. 

Live commentary

Motorsport.com will bring the latest updates from Barcelona throughout the weekend, including live commentary during qualifying on Saturday.

Related video