Madrid in, Imola out: F1 unveils 24‑race 2026 calendar and expanded Sprint roster

Formula 1 has confirmed the race schedule for the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship, locking in another 24‑round marathon that ushers in a new technical era while subtly reshaping the sport’s geography. The headline changes: Madrid finally secures its place on the grid at Imola’s expense, Canada and Monaco swap positions to streamline logistics, and six Sprint weekends return – with three new venues joining the shortened‑race format. ## Madrid arrives, Imola exits The most eye‑catching tweak is the addition of a second Spanish round. After months of expectation, F1 has formally placed the Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid on the weekend of 11‑13 September, on a new semi‑street layout around the Ifema exhibition centre near Barajas airport. The event is listed as the final European stop on the calendar and is currently marked as subject to FIA circuit homologation. [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/formula-1-reveals-calendar-for-2026-season.YctbMZWqBvrgyddrnauo8] Madrid’s promotion comes at a cost for Italy: the Emilia‑Romagna Grand Prix at Imola drops off the schedule after failing to secure an extension beyond its current deal, which ended with the 2025 race. Motorsport.com reports that the Imola round was removed to create room for Madrid while keeping to F1’s self‑imposed cap of 24 races. [Source: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-reveals-2026-calendar-as-madrid-replaces-imola/10731097/] Imola, which returned to F1 during the Covid‑affected 2020 season and quickly regained popularity with fans, had looked vulnerable given mounting pressure on the calendar. As the BBC notes, F1 commercial boss Stefano Domenicali has long argued that 24 races is the practical upper limit for the championship, even though contracts allow for up to 25. With new markets pushing for slots, European events without rock‑solid long‑term deals were always at risk. [Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/cn0g7gd4x5xo] ## A more rational global flow Beyond the headline swap of Madrid for Imola, the 2026 calendar is another step in F1’s slow march towards a more geographically coherent schedule. The year begins in Melbourne from 6‑8 March, with Australia retaining the season‑opening slot it reclaimed due to the timing of Ramadan, which again pushes Bahrain and Saudi Arabia back into April. From Melbourne, the championship heads straight into an Asian double‑header in China and Japan before turning to the Middle East for Bahrain and Jeddah. [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/formula-1-reveals-calendar-for-2026-season.YctbMZWqBvrgyddrnauo8] A key structural change is the repositioning of the Canadian Grand Prix. Montreal moves forward to 22‑24 May, following directly after the Miami race on 1‑3 May. F1 highlights the “significant freight efficiencies” generated by keeping some equipment in North America between the two events instead of dispatching it back to Europe and then returning. [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/formula-1-reveals-calendar-for-2026-season.YctbMZWqBvrgyddrnauo8] That shift bumps Monaco away from its traditional late‑May date. The principality’s blue‑riband event will run on 5‑7 June, followed immediately by Barcelona on 12‑14 June. The result is an uninterrupted European swing – Monaco, Barcelona, Austria, Britain, Belgium, Hungary, Zandvoort, Monza and finally Madrid – that stretches from early June to mid‑September before the series heads back overseas to Baku on 24‑26 September and then Singapore in October. [Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/cn0g7gd4x5xo] After Azerbaijan and Singapore, two triple‑headers close out the campaign. Austin, Mexico City and São Paulo run on consecutive weekends from 23 October to 8 November, followed by Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi between 19 November and 6 December – a now familiar high‑intensity sprint to the finish. [Source: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-reveals-2026-calendar-as-madrid-replaces-imola/10731097/] ## The full 2026 race calendar F1’s official breakdown confirms 24 rounds across five continents: - 6‑8 March – Australian GP (Melbourne) - 13‑15 March – Chinese GP (Shanghai) – Sprint - 27‑29 March – Japanese GP (Suzuka) - 10‑12 April – Bahrain GP (Sakhir) - 17‑19 April – Saudi Arabian GP (Jeddah) - 1‑3 May – Miami GP (Miami) – Sprint - 22‑24 May – Canadian GP (Montreal) – Sprint - 5‑7 June – Monaco GP (Monaco) - 12‑14 June – Spanish GP (Barcelona‑Catalunya) - 26‑28 June – Austrian GP (Spielberg) - 3‑5 July – British GP (Silverstone) – Sprint - 17‑19 July – Belgian GP (Spa‑Francorchamps) - 24‑26 July – Hungarian GP (Budapest) - 21‑23 August – Dutch GP (Zandvoort) – Sprint - 4‑6 September – Italian GP (Monza) - 11‑13 September – Spanish GP (Madrid)* - 24‑26 September – Azerbaijan GP (Baku) - 9‑11 October – Singapore GP (Singapore) – Sprint - 23‑25 October – United States GP (Austin) - 30 October‑1 November – Mexico City GP (Mexico City) - 6‑8 November – São Paulo GP (Interlagos) - 19‑21 November – Las Vegas GP (Las Vegas) - 27‑29 November – Qatar GP (Lusail) - 4‑6 December – Abu Dhabi GP (Yas Marina) *Madrid remains subject to FIA circuit homologation. [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2026] ## Sprint expansion: Montreal, Zandvoort and Singapore join the party Alongside the traditional calendar, Formula 1 and the FIA have confirmed the six‑event Sprint roster for 2026. The short‑format Saturday race returns for a sixth season and continues at three existing venues – Shanghai, Miami and Silverstone – while expanding to three new hosts: Montreal, Zandvoort and Singapore. [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/formula-1-and-fia-announce-2026-sprint-calendar.3PyLPAazrBNe8kQIS3wOfY] The 2026 Sprint calendar is as follows: - 13‑15 March – China (Shanghai) – Sprint - 1‑3 May – USA (Miami) – Sprint - 22‑24 May – Canada (Montreal) – Sprint - 3‑5 July – Great Britain (Silverstone) – Sprint - 21‑23 August – Netherlands (Zandvoort) – Sprint - 9‑11 October – Singapore – Sprint In other words, every Sprint weekend is embedded within a standard Grand Prix weekend, with the format of Friday practice and Sprint qualifying, Saturday Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying, and the full Grand Prix on Sunday. F1 has been keen to stress that the format is working. The championship points to 2024 figures showing average TV audiences for Sprint weekends running roughly 10% higher than conventional events, with standout spikes such as an 84% increase for Lewis Hamilton’s Sprint win in Shanghai and an 18% jump for Lando Norris’s Miami Sprint victory year‑on‑year. [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/formula-1-and-fia-announce-2026-sprint-calendar.3PyLPAazrBNe8kQIS3wOfY] Stefano Domenicali, F1’s president and CEO, framed the decision to broaden the concept as part of the build‑up to the new ruleset: “The 2026 season will usher in a new era of regulations, so having three new Sprint venues will only add to the drama on track,” he said, thanking promoters and the FIA for “giving our fans more incredible racing and excitement in the 2026 season.” [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/formula-1-and-fia-announce-2026-sprint-calendar.3PyLPAazrBNe8kQIS3wOfY] FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added that Sprint “has become an increasingly exciting part of the… World Championship, delivering high‑intensity racing and added entertainment for fans around the world,” and pledged to keep refining the format alongside FOM and the teams. [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/formula-1-and-fia-announce-2026-sprint-calendar.3PyLPAazrBNe8kQIS3wOfY] ## A calendar built around a new era The 2026 schedule is not just about where and when F1 races; it is also designed as a launchpad for sweeping technical and competitive changes. From 2026, F1 power units will deliver roughly a 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, running on 100% advanced sustainable fuels. ESPN notes that the season will also mark the debut of Cadillac as an 11th team, the rebranding of Sauber under the Audi banner, and Ford’s return as a power‑unit partner with Red Bull. [Source: https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/45483485/formula-1-2026-calendar-madrid-gp-debuts-imola-dropped] To help teams cope with the new machinery, F1 has already confirmed an expanded pre‑season test programme: a private five‑day shakedown at Barcelona from 26‑30 January, followed by two three‑day tests in Bahrain on 11‑13 and 18‑20 February. [Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/formula-1-reveals-calendar-for-2026-season.YctbMZWqBvrgyddrnauo8] Crucially, the calendar is also part of F1’s sustainability narrative. Grouping Miami and Montreal into a North American block, and creating a solid European spine from Monaco through Madrid, is framed by the series as a meaningful step in cutting freight emissions without sacrificing commercial reach. That logic is likely to harden future decisions about which legacy venues survive and which must rotate or depart. ## What it means for fans and teams For fans, the 2026 calendar delivers quantity and variety rather than radical change. Every major 2025 venue returns bar Imola, the season still stretches across 10 months, and the familiar late‑season triple‑header gauntlet remains intact. The novelty lies in the long‑trailed arrival of Madrid and the chance to see how a semi‑street track in the Spanish capital reshapes the pecking order compared to established venues like Barcelona. For teams and personnel, there is some relief in the more logical European and North American groupings, though the total workload remains punishing. With 24 rounds, six Sprint weekends and a three‑test pre‑season compressed into just over 10 months, 2026 will test the limits of every organisation’s depth and stamina. And for F1 itself, the calendar underlines the series’ direction of travel: a tightly capped but still globe‑trotting schedule, with legacy circuits judged against freight flows, sustainability metrics and the pull of new host cities. Madrid’s gain and Imola’s loss may not be the last such trade‑off of the new era.