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- Japanese GP (27-29 March)
- Sunday's race: 6am BST / 1am ET
- Free stream: Servus TV (Austria)
- Stream safely and securely with NordVPN (Free Amazon gift card)
Watch the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix live streams to see whether Kimi Antonelli can continue his blistering form after his win in Shanghai. With a pole position at Suzuka, the young Mercedes driver is in prime position to secure back-to-back victories. If both Mercedes cars hold their qualifying positions, Antonelli could head into Miami as the Drivers’ Championship leader.
Russell admitted after qualifying that changes to the rear suspension didn’t work in his favour. And while he adapted well enough to secure P2, he still ended up 0.298s behind Antonelli. While Mercedes’ dominance may not come as a surprise, it’s refreshing to see McLaren back in the mix alongside Ferrari.
Oscar Piastri appears to have shaken off a difficult start to the season, securing a second-row start. He lines up alongside Charles Leclerc, who has had a challenging weekend extracting performance from his Ferrari.
Ferrari seem to have lost some momentum, but team boss Fred Vasseur is optimistic that a new championship could begin in Miami. As for Suzuka, Lewis Hamilton starts P6, but given their strong launches, both red cars could be in the top four by the first corner.
Unfortunately, it was another disappointing qualifying for Max Verstappen. He’ll start P11, having been out-qualified by his teammate Isack Hadjar for the second time this season.
Here’s how to watch the Japanese Grand Prix 2026 online from anywhere and potentially for FREE.
Japanese Grand Prix starting grid
1) Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
2) George Russell - Mercedes
3) Oscar Piastri - McLaren
4) Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
5) Lando Norris - McLaren
6) Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
7) Pierre Gasly - Alpine
8) Isack Hadjar - Red Bull
9) Gabriel Bortoleto - Audi
10) Arvid Lindblad - Racing Bulls
11) Max Verstappen - Red Bull
12) Esteban Ocon - Haas
13) Nico Hulkenberg - Audi
14) Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
15) Franco Colapinto - Alpine
16) Carlos Sainz - Williams
17) Alexander Albon - Williams
18) Oliver Bearman - Haas
19) Sergio Perez - Cadillac
20) Valtteri Bottas - Cadillac
21) Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
22) Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
Japanese Grand Prix 2026 Schedule
Practice 1: Friday, March 27 | 2:30am GMT / 10:30pm ET (Thu.) - Russell fastest
Practice 2: Friday, March 27 | 6am GMT / 2am ET - Piastri fastest
Practice 3: Saturday, March 28 | 2:30am GMT / 10:30pm ET (Fri.) - Antonelli fastest Qualifying: Saturday, March 28 | 6am GMT / 2am ET - Antonelli pole
Japanese Grand Prix: Sunday, March 29 | 6am BST / 1am ET
How to watch the Japanese Grand Prix 2026 for FREE
The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix isn't available for free in every country. However, in these select destinations lucky F1 fans can catch the practice sessions, qualifying, and the entire race/highlights for FREE.
- Austria – Servus TV (free live broadcast)
- Belgium – RTBF Auvio (free live broadcast)
- Canada – CTV (free highlights)
- Luxembourg – RTL Zwee (free live broadcast)
- UK – Channel 4 (free highlights)
- Australia – 10Play (free highlights)
- US – Apple TV (free trial) (free live broadcast of every Practice session)
Traveling abroad during the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix? You can use a VPN to watch all the action free of charge as if you were right at home.
How to watch the Japanese Grand Prix 2026 from anywhere
🌎 ABROAD? The Japanese Grand Prix 2026 is broadcast in many countries around the world but if you're traveling outside your country you should consider using one of the best VPNs to unlock your domestic streaming service provided it does not infringe any terms and conditions.
How to watch the Japanese Grand Prix 2026 in the US
How to watch the Japanese GP 2026 in the UK
How to watch the Japanese Grand Prix 2026 in Australia
How to watch the Japanese Grand Prix 2026 in Canada
Japanese Grand Prix 2026 preview
Can Ferrari, which looked better in China than in Australia, push even closer to challenging Mercedes’ dominance? Unfortunately, Japan so far hasn't looked very neat for them, and with McLaren back in the fight, the fight for that third podium place has only gotten more intense.
Antonelli, after picking up his first-ever F1 win in Shanghai, is now a serious title contender alongside George Russell. We will also likely see an end to Max Verstappen’s dominance at Suzuka. He has won the last four races here, but with Red Bull now firmly in the midfield, he’s unfortunately far off from challenging the top teams.
Speaking of top teams, McLaren had a shocker in China, recording a double DNS, both related to power unit systems. It’s worth noting that they run the Mercedes power unit, but so far haven’t been able to extract performance the way Mercedes has. Oscar Piastri, in fact, has not started either of the two races this season, so he’ll be keen to get off the line cleanly in Japan.
Of course, the new energy management system will be the talk of the paddock throughout the weekend. While Suzuka is a fast track, it also features several significant braking zones, creating opportunities for energy harvesting. That could lead to more overtaking at a circuit not traditionally known for it.
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