F1 Calendar 2026

In 2026, there are 22 races on the Formula 1 calendar. The season begins in March and ends in December. As in previous years, several Grand Prix weekends will feature a sprint format. In Europe, most races start at 15:00 local time, while races outside Europe are often held at different times. GPblog ensures you are always up to date with the correct start times.

As in 2025, the Formula 1 season begins in Australia. The championship then moves on to China and Japan, followed by a one-month break due to the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. In May, racing takes place exclusively in North America, with the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix.

Europe only hosts races from June onwards, starting with the Monaco Grand Prix. The drivers then travel to Barcelona, Austria and Great Britain. The first half of the season concludes with the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix. After the summer break, the final Dutch Grand Prix takes place immediately. The championship then returns to Southern Europe, first in Italy and then on the streets of Madrid.

After the European season, Formula 1 travels to Azerbaijan. This is followed by the Singapore Grand Prix, before racing at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The Mexican Grand Prix comes next, followed by the Brazilian Grand Prix. As in 2025, the season concludes with a triple header in Las Vegas, Qatar and finally the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

There will once again be six sprint races, taking place in China, Miami, Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Singapore.

The 2026 Formula 1 season began with a private winter test in Barcelona. After that closed test, the first on-track action for fans and media took place in Bahrain from February 11 to 13. A second test followed a week later at the same circuit. During testing, Mercedes stood out by completing the most laps.

The season opener took place in Australia, where George Russell secured pole position by a significant margin over the competition. Kimi Antonelli qualified second despite crashing in FP3. Max Verstappen crashed in qualifying and had to start the race from the pit lane. Russell and Antonelli finished first and second for Mercedes on Sunday, with Charles Leclerc in third for Ferrari. Verstappen recovered to finish sixth.

China hosted a sprint weekend. Russell again took pole position and victory in the sprint race. Antonelli dropped back to fifth after receiving a time penalty. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completed the podium. Verstappen finished P9 and did not score points in the sprint.

After issues in qualifying for Russell, Antonelli became the youngest pole-sitter for the Grand Prix. Russell started second but was unable to challenge Antonelli for the win. Hamilton finished third, securing his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari. Verstappen retired from the race and scored no points.