<p>Formula One has unveiled its most ambitious calendar yet for 2026, maintaining a record-tying 24-race schedule that transforms the sport's landscape.</p> <p>The season kicks off in Melbourne on March 6-8 and stretches until Abu Dhabi on December 4-6, featuring a brand-new venue in Madrid while introducing sweeping technical regulations that could reshape competitive dynamics. It's the biggest shakeup the championship has seen in decades. With teams adapting to new car concepts and weekend formats, brushing up on tyre strategy in Formula 1 can help make sense of how races might unfold.</p> <p>These changes, combined with an expanded global footprint, will test reliability, logistics, and the competitive balance from Round 1 to the finale.</p> <h2>Complete 2026 F1 Race Schedule</h2> <ol> <li>March 6-8: Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne</li> <li>March 13-15: Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai (sprint)</li> <li>March 27-29: Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka</li> <li>April 10-12: Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir</li> <li>April 17-19: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jeddah</li> <li>May 1-3: Miami Grand Prix (sprint)</li> <li>May 22-24: Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal (sprint)</li> <li>June 5-7: Monaco Grand Prix</li> <li>June 12-14: Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix</li> <li>June 26-28: Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg</li> <li>July 3-5: British Grand Prix, Silverstone (sprint)</li> <li>July 17-19: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps</li> <li>July 24-26: Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest</li> <li>August 21-23: Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort (sprint) — final edition</li> <li>September 4-6: Italian Grand Prix, Monza</li> <li>September 11-13: Spanish Grand Prix, Madrid</li> <li>September 24-26: Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku (Saturday race)</li> <li>October 9-11: Singapore Grand Prix (sprint)</li> <li>October 23-25: United States Grand Prix, Austin</li> <li>October 30-November 1: Mexico City Grand Prix</li> <li>November 6-8: São Paulo Grand Prix</li> <li>November 19-21: Las Vegas Grand Prix (Saturday race)</li> <li>November 27-29: Qatar Grand Prix, Lusail</li> <li>December 4-6: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina</li> </ol> <p>Summer break falls between rounds 13 and 14.</p> <p>If you're simply tracking market sentiment across the season rather than placing a wager, you can view live <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/motor-racing/formula-1">Formula 1 betting odds</a> between rounds to see how prices move with form and news.</p> <h2>New F1 Track 2026: Madrid Madring Circuit Debuts in September</h2> <p>The headline addition is the Spanish Grand Prix moving to Madrid's new Madring circuit on September 11-13, becoming Round 16 of the championship. Built around the IFEMA exhibition centre in northeast Madrid, the 5.4-kilometre track combines public roads with permanent racing infrastructure across 22 turns. The hybrid layout promises close racing with slow, medium, and high-speed corners that should challenge drivers and provide overtaking opportunities.</p> <p>Barcelona retains its own race earlier in the season on June 12-14 under the name Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, meaning Spain holds two Formula One events in 2026. This dual arrangement probably won't last forever, though. The Madrid venue has secured a ten-year contract through 2035, suggesting it represents F1's long-term vision for the Spanish market while Barcelona's future remains uncertain.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola has been dropped from the calendar after its contract was not renewed beyond 2025. Zandvoort will also host its final Dutch Grand Prix this season, with the sprint-format weekend in August marking the end of the circuit's current run on the calendar.</p> <h2>Monaco and Canada Calendar Swap: What Changed in F1 2026 Schedule</h2> <p>One of the most significant scheduling changes involves Monaco and Canada effectively swapping calendar positions. Monaco shifts from its traditional May slot to June 5-7 as Round 8, while Canada moves earlier to May 22-24 as Round 7.</p> <p>The rationale centres on creating more efficient regional grouping of races, allowing the championship to flow through North America before settling into a sustained European summer stretch.</p> <p>The timing initially put Montreal's sprint weekend directly opposite the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend, drawing sharp criticism.</p> <p>Motorsport analyst Jeff Gluck called the decision "breathtakingly disrespectful" to motorsport history. However, F1 has since adjusted the Canadian Grand Prix start time to 4pm local time, two hours later than in 2025, creating a three-hour-15-minute window after the Indianapolis 500's traditional 12:45pm start.</p> <p>The last five runnings of the Indy 500 have been completed in under three hours, so fans should be able to watch both events without significant overlap.</p> <p>Six circuits will host sprint format weekends: Shanghai, Miami, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort, and Singapore. These compressed schedules condense practice, qualifying, and racing into more intense weekend formats. Two races will be held on Saturdays: Azerbaijan's race shifts to accommodate a national Remembrance Day holiday, while Las Vegas retains its Saturday night slot under the lights of the Strip.</p> <h2>F1 2026 Regulations: New Power Units, Audi and Cadillac Entries</h2> <p>Beyond the calendar itself, 2026 brings revolutionary technical regulations. The new power unit rules feature greater electrification and sustainable fuels, with a roughly 50-50 split between electric power and the internal combustion engine.</p> <p>The MGU-K electric motor nearly triples in output to 350kW, while the complex MGU-H component has been removed entirely to simplify the units and make them more attractive to manufacturers.</p> <p>Five power unit manufacturers will compete: Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, Red Bull Powertrains (partnered with Ford), and newcomer Audi. Mercedes will supply its works team plus Williams, McLaren, and new customer Alpine, who have ended their Renault engine programme.</p> <p>Ferrari powers its own team alongside Haas and new entry Cadillac. Honda returns as a full manufacturer exclusively supplying Aston Martin, while Red Bull's in-house operation with Ford technical support will power both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.</p> <p>Audi's entry marks the first major manufacturer addition in years. The German giant has completed initial track testing, with its power unit successfully integrated into the chassis. The new regulations attracted Audi precisely because they emphasise hybrid technology over traditional combustion engines.</p> <p>The grid also expands to 11 teams for the first time since 2016 with the arrival of Cadillac, formerly the Andretti-led bid. The American team will use Ferrari power units and gearboxes initially, with plans for a General Motors-developed engine from 2029.</p> <p>The cars themselves will be shorter, narrower, and lighter than their predecessors. The wheelbase has been reduced from 360cm to 340cm, width cut from 200cm to 190cm, and minimum mass reduced by 30kg.</p> <p>Active aerodynamics replace the current DRS overtaking aid with a new "manual override mode" that allows drivers to switch between high-downforce and low-drag configurations. These changes aim to improve racing quality while making the cars more challenging to drive.</p> <h2>F1 2026 Pre-Season Testing and Race Dates</h2> <p>Pre-season testing begins with private Barcelona sessions from January 26-30, followed by two official Bahrain tests: February 11-13 and February 18-20. The extended preparation period reflects the magnitude of technical changes teams must master before racing begins in Melbourne.</p> <p>The opening flyaway triple-header through Australia, China, and Japan sets an aggressive pace before Middle Eastern rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia complete the first five races.</p> <p>The European leg runs from Monaco in early June through the summer break in August, encompassing Barcelona, Austria, Britain, Belgium, and Hungary.</p> <p>After the break, teams face a brutal final stretch: ten races across three continents in four months, from Zandvoort to Abu Dhabi. That autumn gauntlet through Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, Las Vegas, and Qatar tests endurance despite F1's sustainability pledges.</p> <p>The season finale remains in Abu Dhabi on December 4-6, capping a gruelling nine-month campaign. Critics question whether 24 races stretches teams too thin, but commercial realities suggest the calendar will only grow larger.</p> <h2>Keep Reading</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/formula-1/news/indycar-vs-formula-1-differences">IndyCar or F1? The key differences that surprise most fans</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/formula-1/news/youngest-f1-drivers-ever">The teenagers who jumped straight into Formula 1</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/formula-1/news/f1-drivers-net-worth-2025-richest">What the top F1 drivers actually earn in 2025</a></li> </ul>