2022 F1 Belgian GP – How to watch, session timings and more

After almost a full month off, F1 resumes after the summer break at Spa-Francorchamps which starts a run of nine races over the next three months to conclude the 2022 campaign.

Max Verstappen’s F1 world drivers’ championship lead stands at 80 points following his victory at the Hungarian GP last time out, coupled with a strategy blunder by Ferrari which saw Charles Leclerc fade to sixth place.

PLUS: The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships

Mercedes will be aiming to maintain its upturn of form before the summer break, when it took pole and a double podium at the Hungaroring, while focus will be on all teams on how the pecking order is shaken up by the new porpoising and flexi floor rules coming in from the Belgian GP.

Off the track, it’ll be the first time the F1 paddock has reconvened since the bombshell news that Fernando Alonso will switch to Aston Martin to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel for 2023.

PLUS: The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move

All eyes will be on Alpine, who had declared Oscar Piastri as Alonso’s replacement only for the Australian to reject the announcement, and McLaren, who look set to secure Piastri to replace Daniel Ricciardo in the team’s F1 driver line-up from next year.

Alonso will face a grilling from the media after his Aston switch was announced following the Hungarian GP

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Full 2022 Belgian GP session timings

Friday 26th August 2022

Free Practice 1: 1:00pm-2:00pm BST (2:00pm-3:00pm local)
Free Practice 2: 4:00pm-5:00pm BST (5:00pm-6:00pm local)

Saturday 27th August 2022

Free Practice 3: 12:00pm-1:00pm BST (1:00pm-2:00pm local)
Qualifying: 3:00pm-4:00pm BST (4:00pm-5:00pm local)

Sunday 28th August 2022

Race: 2:00pm BST (3:00pm local)

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 Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £33.99p per month.

Fans wanting to watch the race for free will have to wait until the Saturday afternoon (qualifying) or Sunday afternoon (race) to see the highlights on Channel 4.

How can I watch the Belgian GP?

Channel: Sky Sports F1 HD

• Channel numbers - Sky: 406
• Channel numbers - Virgin Media: 506

Sky Sports has live and exclusive broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom, with the build-up to the F1 Belgian GP race starting from 12:30pm on Sky Sports F1 ahead of lights out at 2:00pm.

Last year's race was spoiled by the weather and never got going

Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

When can I watch the F1 Belgian GP highlights?

Channel: Channel 4
Start time: Qualifying – 6:30pm Saturday, Race – 6:30pm Sunday

Channel 4 has the rights to show the Belgian GP highlights of qualifying and the race.

Will the F1 Belgian GP be on the radio?

Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2022 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live or 5 Live Sports Extra stations and via the BBC Sport website.

Coverage of the Belgian GP will start at 2:00pm BST on the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sounds app.

Weather forecast for the Belgian GP

Spa-Francorchamps is set for warm but mixed conditions throughout the race weekend, with a small chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday. Highs of 23 degrees Celsius are predicted on Sunday for the start of the race, four degrees colder than the Hungarian GP last time out.

Most F1 Belgian GP wins

Michael Schumacher: 6 wins (1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002)
Ayrton Senna: 5 wins (1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991)
Jim Clark: 4 wins (1962, 1963, 1964, 1965)
Kimi Raikkonen: 4 wins (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009)
Lewis Hamilton: 4 wins (2010, 2015, 2017, 2020)