(Motorsport-Total.com) – There are crucial questions at every Formula 1 race weekend in 2026. Namely: What is the weather forecast? Is wet track expected on site? Are intermediates or even rain tires needed? Or will it remain consistently dry from practice through qualifying to the race, making dry tires sufficient? In short: What should drivers like Nico Hülkenberg, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton prepare for?
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To answer these questions, our editors have been closely monitoring the weather at the Formula 1 venues several days before the start of tests or race weekends. During the event, this preview article is updated with new weather details such as temperature in degrees Celsius, wind strength, cloud cover, and expected precipitation for each day of the weekend.
The result is as precise a weather forecast as possible for the respective Grands Prix of the 2026 Formula 1 season. However, all information is without guarantee, as some motorsport locations like Spa-Francorchamps or the Nürburgring are known for particularly changeable weather that cannot always be predicted accurately. Precipitation can also occur there unexpectedly.
The next time Formula 1 hits the track is at Spa-Francorchamps, from July 17 to 19, 2026, for the Belgian Grand Prix, the tenth race weekend of the year. (Retrieve the complete 2026 Formula 1 calendar here!)
Friday, July 17, 2026
1st Practice (1:30-2:30 PM)
The Formula 1 race weekend in Spa-Francorchamps begins with many dark clouds in the sky over the circuit – and a small chance of rain in the afternoon. However, the heaviest showers are expected to fall already in the morning.
Temperatures will reach up to 23 degrees Celsius on Friday afternoon. Additionally, there will be a northwest wind averaging 13 km/h, peaking at 35 km/h. The wind direction means a tailwind from the exit of the “La Source” hairpin up to the “Les Combes” chicane.
2nd Practice (5:00-6:00 PM)
The still dark clouds over Spa-Francorchamps could also bring rain during the second session. At least small showers are forecast for the evening hours. With temperatures still at 20 degrees, the wind will mostly blow from the north onto the track. Individual gusts may exceed 40 km/h. The wind direction results in a headwind before the final chicane.
Saturday, July 18, 2026
3rd Practice (12:30-1:30 PM)
Saturday starts cooler than Friday: Formula 1 will hold its third practice at a forecasted 18 degrees Celsius. It is expected to be very cloudy again over Spa, but no new rain is in sight for now.
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The wind comes from the northwest onto the circuit. On average, it will be 16 km/h, with peaks up to 40 km/h. The wind direction mostly means a tailwind from the “La Source” hairpin to the “Les Combes” chicane in the first sector.
Qualifying (from 4:00 PM)
Light rain showers are forecast for the Formula 1 qualifying in Belgium: if anything falls, it will likely not be much. With temperatures up to 19 degrees, the wind will increase again: it will blow at an average of 18 km/h from the northwest. This means tailwind remains in the first sector of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Grand Prix (start at 3:00 PM)
Sunday will probably be the friendliest day of the entire weekend, although light showers are possible in the morning. From early afternoon, the sun will increasingly break through the initially dense cloud cover. Temperatures will reach the 20-degree Celsius mark. No rain is expected during the race.
Winds will remain from the northwest, averaging 13 km/h with gusts up to 40 km/h. This means a tailwind from “La Source” to “Les Combes”.
Note: This forecast will be updated several times during the week!
First forecasts for the Formula 1 race in Budapest
At the end of July, it traditionally gets hot in Hungary: temperatures over 25 degrees Celsius are not uncommon. With an average of nine hours of sunshine per day, mostly good weather is expected.
But beware: heat thunderstorms have already turned many a Grand Prix at the Hungaroring into a “weather lottery.” With an average of six to seven rainy days per month, showers cannot be ruled out in the Budapest region.
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