The 2026 Formula One season will feature 24 races, major technical changes, and a reshuffled calendar, with Doha’s Lusail Circuit hosting the penultimate Grand Prix from November 27–29.
Doha will once again host a key race in the Formula One season, with the Lusail International Circuit confirmed to stage the Qatar Grand Prix over the final weekend of November 2026.
The announcement came as Formula 1 and the FIA unveiled the full 2026 calendar, which features 24 races and marks a major shift for the sport.
The Qatar Grand Prix will run from November 27 to 29, part of a closing triple-header that includes races in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.
The season will kick off in Australia from March 6 to 8 at Melbourne’s Albert Park, keeping its place as the opener for the second year in a row, and will wrap up in Abu Dhabi from December 4 to 6.
Big changes are coming in 2026 with the introduction of new technical regulations aimed at improving sustainability and performance. Cars will feature active aerodynamics and run on fully advanced, sustainable fuels.
Cadillac will also make its debut, joining the grid as the 11th team. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem described the new season as “a significant new chapter for our sport”, with fresh teams, manufacturers, and innovation expected to redefine competition.
The calendar has been restructured to ease logistics. Notably, the Canadian Grand Prix moves to May 22–24, just after the Miami race, helping to simplify transport between North American events.
The European leg will begin with Monaco from June 5–7 and end with a debut race in Madrid from September 11–13. Madrid replaces Imola, which has been dropped. Spain will now host two races, with Barcelona remaining on the calendar in mid-June.
After Europe, the championship heads to Asia with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 27 and Singapore on October 11, before moving across the Americas. A triple-header in Austin, Mexico City, and São Paulo will span late October to early November.
As in recent years, the season will finish with a high-stakes run through Las Vegas, Doha, and Abu Dhabi. The Lusail circuit, which last hosted a race in November 2024, is expected to play a key role in the title fight. That 2024 sprint race, held on November 30, saw Max Verstappen among the top contenders.
The timing of Middle Eastern races has been adjusted to avoid overlapping with Ramadan, which falls in February and March. As a result, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix are now set for April.
Pre-season testing will begin with a private session in Europe in January, followed by two public tests in Bahrain in February. These will be the first chances for teams to run their new-generation cars under the updated regulations.
Formula One 2026 calendar:
March 6-8: Melbourne, Australia
March 13-15: Shanghai, China
March 27-29: Suzuka, Japan
April 10-12: Sakhir, Bahrain
April 17-19: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
May 1-3: Miami, United States
May 22-24: Montreal, Canada
June 5-7: Monaco
June 12-14: Barcelona, Spain
June 26-28: Spielberg, Austria
July 3-5: Silverstone, Great Britain
July 17-19: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
July 24-26: Budapest, Hungary
August 21-23: Zandvoort, Netherlands
Sept 4-6: Monza, Italy
Sept 11-13: Madrid, Spain
Sept 25-27: Baku, Azerbaijan
Oct 9-11 Singapore
Oct 23-25 Austin, United States
Oct 30-Nov 1: Mexico City, Mexico
Nov 6-8 Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nov 19-21 Las Vegas, United States
Nov 27-29 Lusail, Qatar
Dec 4-6: Abu Dhabi, UAE
