2022 F1 Spanish GP – How to watch, session timings and more
The 2022 Formula 1 season resumes this weekend as it returns to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix on the 20-22 May.
Following the inaugural Miami GP, F1 reconvenes in much more familiar surroundings at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the sixth round of the 2022 season.
Max Verstappen maintained his streak of winning every race he has finished so far this year, and in the process trimmed Charles Leclerc’s world championship lead down to 19 points.
Leclerc endured an awkward break between races, after crashing an ex-Niki Lauda Ferrari 312B3 F1 car after suffering brake failure during a parade lap at the Monaco Historic GP.
All eyes will be on what upgrade packages each F1 team delivers in Spain given it is both the traditional venue for the first major updates of the season. Teams also debuted the new generation of cars at the circuit back in February during pre-season testing.
Full 2022 Spanish GP session timings
Friday 20th May 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 21st May 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 22nd May 2022
Race: 2:00pm BST (3:00pm local)
The 2022 F1 cars broke cover at Barcelona in pre-season testing
Photo by: Erik Junius
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 evening of Saturday (qualifying) or Sunday (race) to see the highlights on Channel 4.
How can I watch the F1 Spanish GP?
Channel: Sky Sports F1 HD and Sky Sports Main Event HD
Channel numbers - Sky: 406 and 401
Channel numbers - Virgin Media: 506 and 501
Sky Sports has live and exclusive broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom, with the build-up to the F1 Spanish GP race starting from 12:30pm ahead of lights out at 2:00pm.
When can I watch the F1 Spanish GP highlights?
Channel: Channel 4
Start time: Saturday qualifying – 6:45pm, Sunday race – 6:30pm
Channel 4 has the rights to show the Spanish GP highlights of qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
The 2021 Spanish GP was held behind-closed-doors due to the pandemic
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Will the F1 Spanish 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 and 5 Live Sports Extra stations or via the BBC Sport website.
Coverage of the Spanish GP will start at 2:00pm BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the Spanish GP
Barcelona is set for hot and sunny conditions throughout the race weekend, with a very low chance of rain. Highs of 27 degrees Celsius are predicted on Sunday for the start of the race, two degrees cooler than the Miami GP last time out.
Most F1 Spanish GP wins
Michael Schumacher: 6 wins (1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
Lewis Hamilton: 6 wins (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
Jackie Stewart: 3 wins (1969, 1970, 1971)
Nigel Mansell: 3 wins (1987, 1991, 1992)
Alain Prost: 3 wins (1988, 1990, 1993)
Mika Hakkinen: 3 wins (1998, 1999, 2000)
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