2026 Formula 1 calendar shapes up key changes: Australia to start, Imola drops, Madrid debuts. New details about the 2026 F1 calendar reveal Australia will open the season.

We are not even halfway through the season yet, but F1 has already revealed new details about the 2026 calendar. Next year will be crucial for the key players in the Circus with the introduction of new regulations. It will also be interesting for Formula 1 fans, who will witness a new era of motorsport.

However, new information is emerging about the races scheduled for next year. The Athletic revealed that there will be 24 rounds in the 2026 F1 World Championship, spread between March and December. At the moment, these are still unofficial details, likely to be announced in the coming months.

The GP that will open the 2026 World Championship will once again be Australia. Following that, there will still be overseas rounds in China and Japan. Formula 1 will then head to the Middle East, where it will race in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia once the Ramadan period has ended. This way, there should be no obstacles to the sacred Muslim holiday.

One of the most important changes, The Athletic continues, concerns the swap on the calendar between the Monaco GP and the Canadian GP. Formula 1 chose this to ease team movements in the paddock, grouping events geographically. So, in Canada, the race will take place “around the third or fourth weekend of May,” while Monte Carlo will host the Grand Prix at the beginning of June.

However, logistical problems arise as the Canadian GP could clash with the Indy 500, which is held at the end of May. The latter traditionally starts at 1:45 PM (Eastern Time), while the Canadian GP is scheduled for 2 PM.

Unfortunately, Imola will not be present on the 2026 F1 calendar. The race that will replace it will be announced during the year.

Madrid debuts as the second Spanish round after Barcelona and is expected to close the European rounds before the summer break. After the holidays, the calendar will include the Netherlands and the Italian GP at Monza.

The last scheduled races remain those in the New World, with Austin in October and Las Vegas at the end of November.