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

Lewis Hamilton beat Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas to top second practice ahead of the Spanish GP after the Finn led the Friday morning session.

But, with track temperatures creeping up throughout the day, the Mercedes drivers did not go quicker than their FP1 times, while behind the top two 70th Anniversary GP winner Max Verstappen once again held third place for Red Bull.

The only major worry for Mercedes came when Bottas had an off-track moment when he understeered into the gravel at Turn 12 but was able to get out of the gravel trap without any major issues.

Sergio Perez is back in action for Racing Point after recovering from COVID-19, while his Racing Point F1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer revealed the Mexican driver may have caught coronavirus from a private chef he hired after returning to Europe from his trip home to Mexico.

Perez ended FP2 in eighth place, with team-mate Lance Stroll in 11th, as Racing Point gears up to fight off-track over its brake duct appeal, with Renault calling for the Silverstone-based team to lose all points it scores in races where its brake ducts have been protested.

Elsewhere, additional FIA action to ban qualifying engine modes is set to intensify the battle for power between the F1 teams, which is expected to hit the Mercedes-powered squads the hardest.

Both McLaren's Carlos Sainz Jr and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel come into the Spanish GP with chassis changes, for respective cooling and fault issues with their old chassis.

What time does qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix start?

Qualifying for the Spanish GP starts at 3pm local time (2pm BST), using the regular Q1, Q2 and Q3 knockout session format.

Date: Saturday 15 August 2020
Start time: 3pm local time - 2pm BST

How can I watch qualifying?

In the United Kingdom, every F1 practice, qualifying and race is broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with qualifying coverage starting at 1pm BST.

Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of qualifying for the Spanish GP at 6.30pm BST. Autosport will be running a live text coverage of qualifying.

What's the weather forecast for qualifying in Barcelona?

Sunshine and hot conditions are forecast throughout Saturday at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with a very minimal chance of rain. Temperatures are expected to reach highs of 31 degrees Celsius, which is set to be three degrees warmer than the conditions FP2 was held in.

Barcelona FP2 result