São Paulo Grand Prix 2026: Practice, Qualifying and Race Times for Malaysian Fans

Formula 1 returns to Interlagos for the São Paulo Grand Prix on 6–8 November 2026, with Malaysian viewers facing late-night and early-morning viewing across the weekend.

The official Formula 1 timetable confirms a conventional Grand Prix format: three practice sessions, qualifying and the race. There is no F1 Sprint in the published programme for this event.

Full F1 schedule in Malaysia time

All times below are Malaysia Time, MYT (UTC+8). São Paulo is on UTC−3, making Malaysia 11 hours ahead. The date changes are included so viewers can distinguish the Brazilian event day from the day on their local calendar.

• Practice 1: Friday 6 November, 11:30pm–12:30am Saturday.
• Practice 2: Saturday 7 November, 3:00am–4:00am.
• Practice 3: Saturday 7 November, 10:30pm–11:30pm.
• Qualifying: Sunday 8 November, 2:00am–3:00am.
• Grand Prix: Monday 9 November, 1:00am start.

The race’s local start is 14:00 on Sunday 8 November. For Malaysian fans, that means the Grand Prix takes place after midnight at the beginning of Monday, rather than on Sunday afternoon.

71 laps at Interlagos

The scheduled race distance is 71 laps of the 4.309-kilometre Autódromo José Carlos Pace. Practice gives teams time to prepare their cars before qualifying determines the starting grid.

Because this is a standard-format weekend, viewers following only the competitive grid-setting and race sessions should focus on qualifying early on Sunday and the Grand Prix early on Monday in Malaysia.

A venue with a long Formula 1 history

Formula 1’s event guide dates the circuit’s first Grand Prix to 1973 and lists Michael Schumacher as its most successful race winner, with four victories. The venue is named after José Carlos Pace, who won there for Brabham in 1975.

The official guide lists the race lap record as 1 minute, 10.540 seconds, set by Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes in 2018. That historical benchmark provides context for the circuit; it is separate from a qualifying lap or a forecast of the pace teams will achieve this weekend.

What to check before watching

Formula 1 notes that the timetable is subject to change. Fans should confirm the latest session information and their broadcaster’s programme close to the weekend, including any difference between coverage start time and the actual session start.

The key date for Malaysian race viewers is Monday 9 November at 1:00am MYT. Keeping that date alongside the Brazilian Sunday listing should help avoid missing the start.

Featured image: illustrative HPW NEWS archive image; it does not depict this specific event.