If you've never watched Formula 1 before, this weekend might actually be the perfect time to start.
The 2026 F1 season has just begun. The first race took place on March 8 at the Australian Grand Prix, where Mercedes looked incredibly strong.
George Russell won the race at Albert Park, leading a dominant 1-2 finish for the team, with his young teammate Kimi Antonelli finishing second. Ferrari followed behind them, with Charles Leclerc in third and Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth.
Now the season moves to Shanghai for the second race of the season, the Chinese Grand Prix. And this weekend is a little different from a normal F1 weekend because it's what's called a Sprint weekend.
If you're new to F1, here's the simple version to understand. Normally, teams get three practice sessions before qualifying and the race. But during a Sprint weekend, there's only one practice session. After that, drivers jump straight into Sprint Qualifying, which decides the grid for a shorter race on Saturday called the Sprint.
That Sprint race is basically a mini-race before the main event. It's shorter, but drivers can still score points, which helps in the championship battle. The winner of the Sprint earns 8 points and it goes down to 1 point for eighth place. Then later on Saturday, the normal qualifying session happens, which sets the grid for Sunday's full Grand Prix.
So far in Shanghai, Mercedes have continued their strong form. In Friday's only practice session, Russell and Antonelli were once again the fastest drivers. They followed that up by locking out the front row in Sprint Qualifying, meaning Russell will start the Sprint race from first place.
How to Watch F1 Chinese Grand Prix For Free?
If you're planning to watch, the Sprint race will take place on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM IST. Later that same day, qualifying for the main Grand Prix happens at 12:30 PM IST. The big race itself takes place on Sunday, where the winner earns the full 25 championship points.
Now the big question for someone new to the sport is probably this: where can you actually watch it?
In India, Formula 1 is officially streamed on FanCode. The platform charges INR 899 for the full season or INR 99 if you just want to watch one race weekend.
Watch F1 Race For Free!
But if you're not sure yet whether F1 is your thing, and dont want to spend that much, there's an easier option. The official streaming service, F1 TV Pro, offers a free 7-day trial for new users here. This is for anyone, anywhere in the world. That means you can watch this entire race weekend without paying anything.