F1 Spanish GP qualifying - Start time, how to watch & more

Leclerc beat Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to top spot in second practice at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, having also been fastest in opening practice, to mark a strong start to the weekend for the F1 world championship leader. 

Despite missing out on the top time, Mercedes was optimistic its upgrade package delivered for the Spanish GP has cured much of its porpoising problem, meaning the team can focus on extracting better performance from its W13 F1 car.

But the major talking point at the Spanish GP was the FIA investigation into Aston Martin’s F1 car upgrades, having drawn incredible similarities to the Red Bull car, as the Silverstone-based team was judged to have not broken any rules in developing its own package. 

Max Verstappen led the Red Bull charge in Spain, with fifth place in FP2 just behind Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, as Alpine’s Fernando Alonso took sixth ahead of the sister Red Bull of Sergio Perez.

Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, Esteban Ocon (Alpine) and Mick Schumacher (Haas) rounded out the top 10 in FP2.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

What time does qualifying start for the F1 Spanish Grand Prix?

Qualifying for the Spanish GP starts at 4pm local time (3pm BST), using the regular Q1, Q2 and Q3 knockout session format.

Date: Saturday 21st May 2022

Start time: 4pm local time – 3pm BST

How can I watch Formula 1?

In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is only broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.

Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £20 a month for new customers. Sky