F1 2026: official start times for all 24 races – Montreal delayed to avoid Indy 500
The puzzle is finally complete: after the announcement of the six Sprint Races, the official start times for all sessions of the 24 Grand Prix in the 2026 season have also been revealed.
The F1 2026 calendar is complete
Shortly after the official announcement regarding the six circuits that will host the F1 Sprint Races in 2026, the FIA and Formula 1 also confirmed the official start times for all sessions of the upcoming World Championship. Traditional European weekend schedules remain largely unchanged, with FP1 and FP2 on Friday at 13:30 and 17:00 local time, respectively, qualifying at 16:00 on Saturday after FP3 at 12:30, and the race on Sunday at 15:00. However, there are some interesting new developments.
Early starts at the beginning of the season
As has been known for some time, the season will begin with a trio of races on the other side of the world, which means early wake-up calls for European fans who want to follow events live. The season starts on March 8 on the Melbourne street circuit in Australia, followed by China and Japan on the weekends of March 15 (which will also host the first of the six Sprint Races) and March 29. Two back-to-back Middle East rounds will follow in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, before heading to Miami for the second weekend featuring the special format.
Montreal delayed to avoid Indy 500
One notable change comes in Canada. In addition to hosting the third Sprint Race of the season, the Grand Prix in Montreal will start two hours later than usual. The race on May 24 will now begin at 16:00 local time (22:00 in Italy), instead of 14:00, in an effort to avoid a scheduling conflict with the Indianapolis 500. The iconic American motorsport classic usually starts at 12:45 local time, and it is possible that IndyCar organizers may slightly adjust their start time to prevent any overlap.
The long European stretch of the F1 calendar
From June 7 onward, the European leg of the F1 calendar will begin in Monte Carlo. For the first time, the European season will run uninterrupted until the weekend of September 13, when the Spanish Grand Prix is scheduled at the new Madrid circuit, Madring. On September 26, exceptionally on a Saturday to avoid a conflict with Azerbaijan’s national holiday, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place in Baku, followed by the Singapore weekend that concludes the F1 Sprint Race calendar. There are no major changes from 2025 regarding the start times of the final six races of the season, except for the Austin Grand Prix, which will start an hour later at 15:00 local time (22:00 Central European Time (CET)).
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