The 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix weekend gets underway in Montreal with a particularly important opening session, as teams prepare for a Sprint format weekend that leaves almost no room for error. Free Practice 1, starting at 18:30 CET, will be the only practice session available before competitive running begins, making this one of the most intense hours of preparation of the season.
F1 Montreal race hub: all the useful links
To follow the Canadian Grand Prix weekend in full, here are all the key ScuderiaFans.com resources for Formula 1 fans:
- TV schedule – Full Canadian GP weekend programme
- Weather forecast – Rain threat over Montreal
- Weekend preview – Ferrari’s Montreal challenge explained
- Last year – What happened in Canada in 2025
- 2026 Formula 1 calendar – Full season schedule
- Drivers’ standings – After Miami
- Constructors’ standings – After Miami
Live coverage: Canadian Grand Prix FP1
Our live coverage of Free Practice 1 for the 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix will begin at 18:15 CET on Friday, May 22, bringing you minute-by-minute updates from Montreal as the teams tackle their only practice opportunity of the weekend.
F1 Canadian GP FP1 live
Good evening, dear ScuderiaFans.com readers, and welcome to our live coverage of the opening session of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Free Practice 1 begins at 18:30 CET and will run for just one hour, ending at 19:30. As always on Sprint weekends under the current Formula 1 format, that single session carries enormous importance, with teams and drivers forced to compress what would normally be spread across three practice sessions into just 60 minutes of track time.
The pressure is even greater because competitive action resumes later tonight, with Sprint Qualifying scheduled for 22:30 CET to decide the starting order for Saturday’s 100-kilometre Sprint race. That means setup choices, tyre understanding, energy management and confidence over a single lap all need to be addressed immediately.
Attention will naturally be focused on Ferrari after a frustrating weekend in Miami, where the Scuderia showed signs of progress but still lacked the overall pace to challenge the front consistently. At the same time, Mercedes arrives in Montreal with a major development package that could strengthen the championship prospects of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
McLaren and Red Bull will also be closely watched as the increasingly unpredictable 2026 Formula 1 season continues to produce fluctuating performance depending on circuit characteristics and hybrid system optimisation.
Will there be surprises in Montreal? Follow every key moment with us throughout the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
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