What will the 2026 Formula 1 calendar look like? From the latest information about which races will be on the schedule to when tickets will go on sale for each race, here are all the latest updates about the 2026 F1 calendar!
A new era dawns for Formula 1 in 2026. It will be the first year of a major regulations overhaul and it will be the first to feature new American team Cadillac. There will also be at least one new race on the calendar.
There’s no doubt that many of you are already considering which F1 races to attend in 2026. From when the calendar announcement is due, to what the schedule will look like and when tickets will go on sale, here’s all the latest information available about the 2026 F1 calendar.
When is the F1 Calendar Usually Announced?
The date on which the following season’s Formula 1 calendar has been announced has been inconsistent in recent years, owing to uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2024 Formula 1 calendar was revealed in early July, in the week prior to the 2023 British Grand Prix. It was the earliest date on which the calendar was revealed since 2018. Then, as a result of a fairly static list of races to be included, the 2025 Formula 1 calendar was revealed much earlier than in other years, in April 2024.
In previous years, the initial calendar was presented as a ‘provisional’ schedule, or a ‘first draft’ of the calendar. That has not been the case in the last four years, as the calendar had already been approved by the World Motor Sport Council prior to its announcement.
Below is the list of dates on which Formula 1 first announced the calendar for each season:
- 2025: April 12, 2024
- 2024: July 5, 2023
- 2023: September 20, 2022
- 2022: October 15, 2021
- 2021: November 10, 2020
- 2020: August 29, 2019
- 2019: August 31, 2018
- 2018: June 19, 2017
- 2017: September 28, 2016
- 2016: July 10, 2015
- 2015: September 12, 2014
- 2014: September 27, 2013
- 2013: September 21, 2012
- 2012: June 3, 2011
- 2011: September 8, 2010
- 2010: September 21, 2009
- 2009: June 25, 2008
Will There Be Any New Events on the 2026 F1 Calendar?
Yes, there is a new circuit on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar. The Spanish Grand Prix – which has taken place at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 1991, will move to a new circuit in Madrid, set around the IFEMA exhibition centre.
There are plenty of rumours about other potential new races being added to the calendar but it is rare that such rumours progress to solid plans for new events in a short period of time.
What is known is that the sport continues to eye a return to Africa in the near future, most likely in Rwanada or at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa. It is understood that discussions for a new Thai Grand Prix are also in advanced stages. These two options seem the most likely if there are to be any further additions to the 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
Any new races being added to the 2026 Formula 1 calendar are likely to be announced well in advance of next year’s schedule being revealed. However, it should be remembered that, under the current commercial agreement, 24 is the maximum number of rounds which can be held during a single season.
Which Races Will be on the 2026 F1 Calendar?
Of the 24 races on the 2025 calendar, 20 are already confirmed to return in 2026, with many holding contracts which will see the circuits remain on the calendar into the next decade.
There are currently four circuits on the 2025 calendar which do not hold a contract to host a Formula 1 race in 2026. There are a maximum of 24 slots available on the calendar and with Madrid joining to host the Spanish Grand Prix, 21 slots are already taken for 2026. It means that one of the following circuits almost certainly will not feature on the 2026 schedule.
The circuits currently without a contract for 2026 are Autodromo Imola (host of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix), Circuit de Spa Francorchamps (host of the Belgian Grand Prix), Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (host of the Mexico City Grand Prix) and Las Vegas Strip Circuit (host of the Las Vegas Grand Prix).
Of those four, Imola and Spa appear to be the most at risk, though Sergio Perez’s departure from Red Bull and the lack of a Mexican driver on the grid will certainly be a concern for Mexico City Grand Prix organisers. With F1 having invested a lot of money into the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Sin City race appears to be safe. F1 does hold an agreement in principle to continue racing on The Strip until 2032.
The full list of races and circuits which are on the current schedule and are expected to return on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar can be found on our Travel Guides page.
What Will be the First Race on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar?
In 2024, the first two races of the season – in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – were staged on a Saturday. That was due to the timing of Ramadan, the observation of which began on March 10 in 2024. As the holy period gets progressively earlier each year, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races have been moved to later in the season in 2025 and the Australian Grand Prix moves to the season-opening slot for the first time since 2019.
The 2026 F1 calendar is once again unlikely to begin with races in the Middle East due to the timing of the religious period. In 2026, Ramadan runs from February 17 to March 18. For the season-opener to take place in Bahrain, it would need to take place on March 22 at the earliest; one week later than the 2025 season opener.
It means that the Australian Grand Prix is the most likely candidate to become the season-opening event once again in 2026. Albert Park regularly hosted the season-opening event from its first appearance on the calendar in 1996 through to its final race before the pandemic in 2019. There is a clause in the circuit’s current contract that guarantees it will be the season-opening event for at least four seasons between 2025 and 2037.
What Will the 2026 F1 Calendar Look Like?
A number of changes to the 2026 Formula 1 calendar compared to its predecessors have already been announced. They regard the dates on which certain races take place. With a clear eye on reaching its net zero carbon emissions objectives by 2030, Formula 1 continues to carefully consider where best to position races in the schedule for the most efficient travel routes.
To aid with the rationalisation of the calendar, it has been agreed that the Canadian Grand Prix will move from its current June slot to May from 2026 onwards. It will take place on the third or fourth weekend of the month. The Montreal promoters had previously specified that the race had to be held on one of two weekends in June. The date change likely means that the Canadian race will take place around the same time as the Miami Grand Prix, therefore eliminating a needless additional transatlantic journey.
Furthermore, when the Monaco Grand Prix signed a new contract in November 2024, it was also announced that the iconic race in the principality would move from its traditional slot on the last weekend of May to the first full weekend in June from 2026.
The latest shuffles in the calendar order follow the Japanese Grand Prix moving to April and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix moving to September from the 2024 season. The Qatar Grand Prix was also re-positioned next to the season finale in Abu Dhabi to further reduce air travel.
We’ve considered the factors above and put together what we think the 2026 F1 calendar could look like. This calendar is in no way official, it is merely a best guess at what the 2026 schedule could look like, having considered all of the information currently available.
What the 2026 Formula 1 Calendar Could Look Like
| Date | Race | Circuit |
|---|---|---|
| March 15 | Australian Grand Prix | Albert Park |
| March 22 | Chinese Grand Prix | Shanghai International Circuit |
| April 5 | Japanese Grand Prix | Suzuka |
| April 12 | Bahrain Grand Prix | Bahrain International Circuit |
| April 19 | Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Jeddah Corniche Circuit |
| May 10 | Miami Grand Prix | Miami International Autodrome |
| May 24 | Canadian Grand Prix | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve |
| June 7 | Monaco Grand Prix | Circuit de Monaco |
| June 14 | Spanish Grand Prix | IFEMA Madrid |
| June 28 | Catalan Grand Prix | Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya |
| July 5 | Austrian Grand Prix | Red Bull Ring |
| July 12 | British Grand Prix | Silverstone |
| July 26 | Belgian Grand Prix | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps |
| August 2 | Hungarian Grand Prix | Hungaroring |
| August 30 | Dutch Grand Prix | Zandvoort |
| September 6 | Italian Grand Prix | Monza |
| September 20 | Azerbaijan Grand Prix | Baku City Circuit |
| October 4 | Singapore Grand Prix | Marina Bay Street Circuit |
| October 18 | United States Grand Prix | Circuit of The Americas |
| October 25 | Mexico City Grand Prix | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez |
| November 1 | Brazilian Grand Prix | Interlagos |
| November 22 | Las Vegas Grand Prix | Las Vegas Strip Circuit |
| November 29 | Qatar Grand Prix | Lusail Circuit |
| December 6 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Yas Marina Circuit |
Will There be Sprint Events on the 2026 F1 Calendar?
F1’s Sprint format is set to continue in 2026. The Sprint is an additional 30-minute race held on a Saturday afternoon, offering an extra slice of racing action at a select number of Grands Prix.
The Sprint format was first introduced in 2021. Three Sprint events were held in 2021 and 2022, with that number increasing to six from 2023 onwards. It is not yet known how many Sprint races there will be in 2026, or what the exact format for these events will be.
What we do already know is that the Dutch Grand Prix – in its final season on the calendar – will host a Sprint event for the first time. It also seems likely that Interlagos will continue to host the Sprint format, having done so in every year since 2021.
Further details about which other venues will host Sprint events are usually announced later in the year, after the Grand Prix calendar has been revealed.
What About 2026 F1 Pre-Season Testing?
With new regulations in 2026, the teams will get more time on track before the season begins to test their new machinery. In recent years a single three-day test has taken place at Bahrain International Circuit in the weeks preceding the start of the new season.
It was confirmed by Formula 1 in July 2024 that there will be nine days of pre-season testing in 2026. There will be three tests, each lasting three days. It appears that testing will take place on multiple circuits, with Bahrain and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya the most obvious choices.
F1 says that the locations and dates for 2026 pre-season testing are yet to be determined. Learn more: How to Attend F1 Pre-Season Testing.
When Will Tickets for 2026 Formula 1 Races go on Sale?
Tickets for races on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar are highly unlikely to go on sale before the 2025 race at each track takes place. In recent years, the Austrian Grand Prix has been the first event to place tickets on sale for the following year, with tickets for next year becoming available soon after each year’s race in early July.
Early-bird tickets for the Singapore and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix also go on sale soon after the current edition of the race. Tickets for the races in Canada and Hungary have also gone on sale soon after the current edition of the race in recent years. Learn more about when tickets for each race are expected to go on sale for every Grand Prix in 2026.
It’s also possible to secure access to the following season’s Grands Prix early, sometimes even before the current season’s race takes place, by placing a deposit via F1 Experiences, Formula 1’s official ticket package partner.
For all the latest information on tickets for races on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar, subscribe to the F1Destinations mailing list. Check the boxes for the races you are interested in attending and we will send you event updates and ticket information as soon as it is available.
