🇯🇵 Japanese GP 2026

When was the Japanese GP?

The Japanese GP is round 3 of the 2026 Formula 1 season, held at Suzuka Circuit in Japan. Lights out was Sunday, March 29 at 05:00 UTC. The card above shows that start time converted to your local timezone.

What time is the Japanese GP around the world?

Lights out is at 05:00 UTC. That puts the Japanese GP start at 1:00 AM EDT (US Eastern / ET, New York) for North American fans, 6:00 AM BST in the UK and Ireland (London & Dublin), and 4:00 PM AEDT in eastern Australia (Sydney & Melbourne). Full conversion across major regions and cities:

Session start times verified against the official F1 timetable on August 11, 2026. Times can change — this page reflects the last verified schedule and updates automatically when it does.

What time does the Japanese GP finish?

The Japanese GP was scheduled to finish at approximately 07:00 UTC — about two hours after the 05:00 UTC start. F1 races run to the lesser of 305 km or two hours of racing, so most last around 1h45–2h of green-flag running; a red flag or repeated safety cars can push the finish later, and the FIA caps total race time at three hours. In the UK and Ireland that is roughly 8:00 AM BST, and on the US East Coast about 3:00 AM EDT. Treat it as a planning estimate — take the exact start time above and add roughly two hours.

Qualifying converts the same way — set your alarm for 6:00 AM GMT in the UK:

About Suzuka Circuit

The Japanese GP is run over 53 laps of the 5.807 km Suzuka Circuit — one of the few figure-of-eight layouts in motorsport, where the track crosses over itself. The venue first hosted a round of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1987.

• Circuit length: 5.807 km
• Race distance: 53 laps
• First World Championship race here: 1987

Full Suzuka Circuit circuit guide — length, race distance & every recent winner →

Who won the last Japanese GP? Recent winners at Suzuka Circuit

Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) won the most recent Formula 1 race at Suzuka Circuit in 2025. Max Verstappen has won here 4 times in the last 6 runnings — more than any other driver in this span. Here are the winners of the last 6 runnings at Suzuka Circuit:

Historical results are immutable facts, compiled from public Formula 1 records — unofficial and not affiliated with Formula 1. Verified 2026-07-10.

Japanese GP practice, qualifying times

A Grand Prix weekend is more than Sunday. The Japanese GP runs 4 timed sessions before lights out, listed here in UTC — the table above shows each one in your own timezone:

• Free Practice 1: Friday, March 27 at 02:30 UTC
• Free Practice 2: Friday, March 27 at 06:00 UTC
• Free Practice 3: Saturday, March 28 at 02:30 UTC
• Qualifying: Saturday, March 28 at 06:00 UTC

Qualifying for the Japanese GP sets the grid on Saturday, March 28 at 06:00 UTC. Open this page on race weekend and every time shown updates to wherever you are in the world.

How to watch the Japanese GP live

In the US the Japanese GP is live on Apple TV, which became the exclusive home of Formula 1 in the United States from 2026 with every session live. In the UK it’s on Sky Sports F1, with free highlights on Channel 4; and worldwide, F1 TV Pro streams every session where it’s available. Major viewer markets:

For subscription costs, free trials and how to watch F1 free in every market, see the full 2026 F1 TV & streaming guide.

Broadcast details can change — confirm with your provider before lights out. Unofficial; not affiliated with Formula 1 or any broadcaster.

Common questions about the Japanese GP

Add it to your calendar

Use Add to calendar to drop the race into your phone or laptop calendar with a 30-minute heads-up alarm. Want every round at once? Subscribe to the full-season calendar — one tap adds it to Google, Apple or Outlook and keeps it in sync if a session time changes.