Reason why Martin Brundle is absent from Chinese Grand Prix after new Sky Sports contract

Legendary Sky Sports F1 expert Martin Brundle is not attending the second Grand Prix weekend of the season

Martin Brundle only attends a select number of Grand Prix weekends(Image: (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images))

Everything you need to know about Martin Brundle’s absence from the Chinese Grand Prix

Brundle’s Scheduled Absence:

 Brundle’s recently agreed contract with Sky Sports means he attends around 16 weekends during a 24-round season. While he remains a core part of the team, he occasionally misses long-haul flyaway races, such as China, to manage the demanding travel schedule of the modern F1 calendar.

Expert Replacements:

 In Brundle’s absence, Sky Sports draws upon its extensive roster of former drivers to deliver expert analysis from the Shanghai paddock. You can expect to see pundits like Karun Chandhok, Anthony Davidson or Nico Rosberg stepping in to handle the technical commentary.

Grid Walk:

 Brundle’s absence means there will be no grid walk, although the Sky team will still be chatting to key figures ahead of lights out. Even at the races he does attend, Brundle isn’t obliged to undertake a grid walk every time. Under the terms of his contracts with broadcasters over the years, he performs a grid walk at three out of every four races he attends.

Race Start Times (UK):

 The main Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on Sunday at 7am GMT. The first Sprint race of the season took place in the early hours of Saturday morning, with Grand Prix qualifying at 7am GMT.

UK Broadcaster:

 Sky Sports F1 is the exclusive home for live coverage of every session throughout the weekend. Their dedicated build-up coverage for the main race begins at 5.30am GMT on Sunday.

Live Streaming in the UK:

 Subscribers can stream the race live via the Sky Go app, accessible on mobile, tablet and desktop devices. Alternatively, fans without a complete contract can take up a NOW Sports Membership to stream through the NOW app on smart TVs or consoles.

How to Watch in the US:

 For the 2026 season, Apple TV Plus is the main broadcast partner for Formula 1 in the United States. Fans can subscribe to the F1 package within the Apple TV app to watch the race, which commences at 3am ET/12am PT on Sunday morning.

UK Radio Coverage:

 Comprehensive live radio commentary is offered by BBC Radio 5 Live, with the broadcast starting at 6.30am GMT on race day. You can also tune into every session, including practice and qualifying, via BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds app.

Highlights:

 Channel 4 has the rights to free-to-air highlights of the qualifying and race sessions later in the day for UK viewers. The qualifying and main race highlights programmes will be broadcast at 1pm on both Saturday and Sunday.