2026 Formula 1 calendar: Australia to open the season, Imola out, Madrid in
Australia's world title leader Oscar Piastri will again kick-start his 2026 campaign on home soil chasing a maiden Australian Grand Prix victory after Albert Park was confirmed as the opening race of next year's Formula 1 calendar.
The FIA and Formula 1 released the 24-race 2026 calendar on Tuesday with the Melbourne race locked again in as the season opener on March 6-8.
The season will conclude with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 6 and there is one major change to the calendar with Madrid (September 11-13) making its debut on the schedule and Imola has dropped off.
Australia returned to its traditional slot as the season-opening race this year for the first time since 2019 after losing its spot during the Covid pandemic.
Leading the 2025 world championship standings, Piastri will again chase his first Australian Grand Prix win next year after finishing ninth at Albert Park this year.
Piastri sits 10 points clear of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris after winning five of the opening nine races.
While all eyes will be on McLaren star and hometown hero Piastri, the season-opening race will also feature the debut of the Cadillac F1 team as the 11th team on the grid and the Audi F1 Team after its acquisition of current team Sauber and the introduction of new regulations.
'(The) 2026 (season) will be a new era for Formula 1 where we will witness a brand-new set of regulations for our sport, the cars and the engines that will be powered by 100% sustainable fuel,' president and CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali, said.
'We are excited to welcome Madrid to the calendar, and to see huge automotive brands like Audi, Cadillac and Ford join the Formula 1 grid.'
The Chinese Grand Prix will immediately follow the Australian race in a double-header, before the season moves to a stand-alone race in Japan.
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will once again be held in April due to Ramadan being observed throughout February and March.
In date alterations to the F1 calendar, the Canadian Grand Prix will now follow Miami in an earlier slot on May 22-24 to help with the 'geographical flow' of races.
The change creates a consolidated European leg, which will start with the Monaco Grand Prix on June 5-7 and will finish in Madrid.
The calendar then returns to Asia with the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix, ahead of a triple header in the Americas, before Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi once again close out the season.
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