By Michael Potts

Published: Thursday, 19 May 2022 at 12:00 am


The Spanish Grand Prix could see Red Bull steal a march on Ferrari this weekend with Max Verstappen in fine fettle.

The reigning world champion sailed to victory in Miami last time out and looks poised to take his title defence to the next level in Barcelona.

Red Bull appear to have won the battle over their reliability issues, clearing a path for Verstappen and Sergio Perez to challenge for every podium without fear of a DNF.

Ferrari star Charles Leclerc still tops the driver standings by 19 points but Verstappen has won more races so far. Another victory for the latter would pile pressure on Leclerc.

Fans around the world will be excited to see the cars in action around a well-known mainstay on the F1 calendar.

RadioTimes.com brings you the complete guide to the Spanish Grand Prix 2022 including start time, dates and TV details, as well as our analysis of the big storylines to come.

Spanish Grand Prix date

The Spanish Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 22nd May 2022.

Check out our full F1 2022 calendar for the full list of races and results throughout the season.

Spanish Grand Prix start time

The race begins at 2pm UK time on Sunday 22nd May 2022. 

We’ve included the full schedule for the rest of the weekend, including practice and qualifying times below.

Spanish Grand Prix schedule

All UK time.

Spanish Grand Prix practice time

Friday 20th May

From 12:30pm on Sky Sports F1

Practice 1 – 1pm

Practice 2 – 4pm

Saturday 21st May

From 11:45am on Sky Sports F1

Practice 3 – 12pm

Spanish Grand Prix qualifying time

Saturday 21st May

From 2pm on Sky Sports F1

Qualifying – 3pm

Spanish Grand Prix race time

Sunday 22nd May

From 12:30pm on Sky Sports F1

Race – 2pm

How to watch Spanish Grand Prix on TV

The Spanish Grand Prix will air live on Sky Sports F1 from 12:30pm on Sunday 22nd May.

All races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event throughout the season.

Sky customers can add individual channels for just £18 per month or add the complete sports package to their deal for just £25 per month.

There will also be free-to-air highlights of the race on Channel 4 from 6:30pm on Sunday evening.

Live stream Spanish Grand Prix online

Existing Sky Sports customers can live stream the race via the Sky Go app on a variety of devices.

You can watch the Grand Prix with a NOW Day Membership for £11.99 or a Monthly Membership for £33.99, all without signing up to a contract.

NOW can be streamed through a computer or apps found on most smart TVs, phones and consoles. NOW is also available via BT Sport.

Spanish Grand Prix preview

1. Will the Ferrari upgrade be enough?

Max Verstappen is beginning to wrap his hands around this title race already. He has won every race his Red Bull beast machine has managed to complete and a victory here would set him on a path to domination.

Ferrari look set to bring a ‘big upgrade’ to the table for this race, and they need it to perform fresh out of the box if they are to challenge Red Bull in Barcelona.

The Italians will be delighted with their overall performance so far this season, but if they are serious about locking horns with Red Bull for the driver’s or constructor’s championship, they must continue to develop well.

2. Carlos Sainz on home soil

Ferrari’s Spanish star Carlos Sainz is a man under pressure. He has been sifted behind Charles Leclerc in the pecking order and a dangerous cocktail of pressure, bad fortune and frustration have led to a disappointing season for Sainz so far, despite underlying raw pace.

Sainz picked up in Miami to record a much-needed podium despite finishing five seconds adrift of Leclerc.

He enters his homeland race with plenty of eyeballs watching his every move and must be careful not to try and over-compensate for some poor results in 2022. Sainz is a talented driver but needs consistent, solid results, not one-off spectacular moments.

3. Fernando Alonso under scrutiny

His compatriot Fernando Alonso is also under pressure to deliver. He has endured a frustrating start to the campaign with just two points from five races, 22 fewer than his teammate Esteban Ocon.

The veteran star, like Sainz, has suffered from a complex blend of bad fortune and disappointing moments, while also showing glimpses of a hungry, quick, competitive world champion.

He must find consistency in the coming weeks to save this from becoming a lost season for Alpine.

Spanish Grand Prix prediction

Check out our Spanish Grand Prix predictions guide coming soon…

If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub.

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