F1 2026 calendar revealed: Madrid joins the grid, Imola dropped

For the first time, Spain will host two Formula One races in 2026, as a new street circuit in Madrid joins the calendar in September. However, Italy’s Imola race has been dropped from the updated 24-race schedule. 

The new calendar also confirmed that the new season will begin with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8, followed by the second race in Shanghai, China, one week later.

“We are excited to welcome Madrid to the calendar, and to see huge automotive brands like Audi, Cadillac, and Ford join the Formula One grid,” Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali expressed.

Furthermore, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, also shared: “Next year’s FIA Formula One World Championship marks a significant new chapter for our sport… A new race, new teams, and the arrival of new manufacturers, all ushering in a fresh era of innovation and competition.”

Major changes in the sport 

Madrid’s race is just one of the notable changes made to next season’s calendar, and it is aimed at cutting down on travel and lowering carbon emissions. Another major change is the Canadian Grand Prix schedule, moving from its usual early June slot to May 22–24. Usually, this date is for Monaco, which is now set for June 5–7. This schedule adjustment allows for an easier logistics process, as equipment from the Miami race, which will happen on May 1–3, can be sent directly to Canada to reduce shipping needs.

After the Monaco race, all events up until Madrid in late September will take place in Europe. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be the season’s final international stretch, which will begin from Sept 25–27.

The 2026 season will start in Melbourne, Australia, from March 6–8. The Bahrain Grand Prix has been moved to April due to Ramadan.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will be held a week apart, and there will be a two-week break between the Chinese and Japanese races in March.

The British Grand Prix is scheduled for July 3–5. The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort will be held Aug 21–23 for the last time. 

More so, Barcelona will still host the traditional Spanish Grand Prix on June 12–14, marking the final year of the current contract. 

The season will end with two back-to-back sets of three races– the US Grand Prix in Austin from Oct 23–25, followed by Mexico and Brazil, and then the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov 19–21, followed by Qatar and Abu Dhabi to end the season on Dec 4–6.

In a social media post, F1 shared: “Save the date 🔒 Presenting the 2026 Calendar 🗓️ 24 races across the world to crown our champion 🏆”

Netizens shared their thoughts on the changes and commented on the post with one commenter saying that losing Imola is bad for the sport.

“Much more logistically efficient schedule, well done!”, another said

Here is the final F1 2026 calendar: 

Australia – March 6-8

China – March 13-15

Japan – March 27-29

Bahrain – April 10-12

Saudi Arabia – April 17-19

Miami – May 1-3