Madrid's new street circuit to debut in 2026, replacing Imola on F1 schedule
LONDON (AP) — A new street circuit in Madrid will make its debut on the Formula 1 schedule in September of next year, replacing the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
F1 announced its schedule for 2026 on Tuesday, setting the first Grand Prix at the new Madring track in the Spanish capital for Sept. 13.
Spain gets two races for 2026 as Barcelona stays on the calendar for the final year of its contract. It faces an uncertain future after that.
F1 has previously said Madrid's race will be known as the Spanish Grand Prix. The new schedule doesn't specify a new name for Barcelona's race, which has been known as the Spanish Grand Prix since 1991.
Spain's second race means Italy drops back to having one Grand Prix as Imola leaves the schedule. The historic track, a favorite with drivers, returned to schedule in 2020 as a late addition amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has hosted five races since. Its contract was up this year.
The 2026 F1 season will start March 6-8 in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix and concluded with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from Dec. 4-6.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Brad Pitt Reveals "F1" Film Was His Dream Experience
Motorsport fans are about to get a high-octane dose of cinema with F1 — the upcoming highly-anticipated film that's already being hailed as one of the most ambitious racing movies ever made. Directed by Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski, F1 stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a retired Formula 1 driver who returns to the sport to race for a fictional team called APXGP (pronounced 'apex'). He's joined by British actor Damson Idris, who plays rookie teammate Joshua Pearce. And while the team and characters may be fictional, almost everything else about the film is very, very real. While kicking off the press tour in Mexico City, Pitt called the project 'a dream come true', revealing that he'd been trying to make a racing film for decades. 'For me, it was just a no-brainer,' he said. 'When Joe had this audacious plan to invent us in the racing season, to put us actually in the cars, it was just a dream come true.' Kosinski's vision was clear from the beginning: to make the most immersive and realistic racing film ever made. That meant no faking it — Pitt and Idris had to actually learn how to drive. 'We started this training and we ended up getting to drive for basically two years in the making of this,' Pitt explained. 'By the end of it, Damps and I — I say we were quite tasty… as drivers.' That realism extended beyond just learning how to drive. Pitt and the production team — with major help from seven-time world champion and executive producer Lewis Hamilton — gained access to the inner workings of F1, even sitting in on drivers' meetings to ensure authenticity. Pitt said it was important to earn the respect of the sport and its athletes. 'We had to go in and just try to earn their trust, let them know how much we respect the sport, how much we want to get it right, and how much we want to include them,' he shared. The cars themselves posed another challenge. Pitt described the Formula 1 steering wheel as 'extreme', filled with too many buttons to count. 'The idea of being in the car and dealing with these forces, G-forces, the physics of it all, is just something you cannot fake,' he said. 'It is incredible what these guys can do.' He added that the precision and speed required from F1 drivers was 'staggering', especially considering how tightly packed the grid is during races. 'The idea that these guys can go around a four-mile track and all be within one second of each other — it's awesome,' Pitt said. 'It's a religion for me. The downforce, the way these cars stick — there's nothing I can compare it to.' A huge part of the film's authenticity comes from Hamilton's input — both creatively and technically. 'We would have meetings with him — some 12-hour meetings — as we developed the story and the script,' Pitt said. 'A lot of him is in the film, certainly in the way the story ends. Even in post, he would tell us things like, 'You're in the wrong gear at Turn 6', or, 'Make sure you add the reverb when you go down the straight'. His knowledge is unfathomable.' F1 hits Australian cinemas on June 26, 2025 and judging by the scale, the access, and the passion behind it, it's set to become a defining moment in motorsport cinema.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canadian Grand Prix to run on the same day as the Indianapolis 500 in 2026
The Canadian Grand Prix will be held at the same time as the Indianapolis 500 in 2026. (Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) The days of the Monaco Grand Prix preceding the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend are gone. At least for now. Formula 1 released its 2026 schedule on Tuesday and it includes the series going head-to-head with the Indianapolis 500. The Monaco Grand Prix has moved back to June and will take place on June 7. In its place is the Canadian Grand Prix, which will be held on May 24. Advertisement This year's Canadian Grand Prix is set to be held on Sunday and has traditionally been held in mid-June. But next year's date swap is being made for travel-related reasons. Monaco will be the first race of the season in Europe. By moving the Canadian Grand Prix up and Monaco back, F1 will have nine straight European races. Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix is set to start at 2 p.m. ET for a primetime start in Europe. Assuming the race keeps that start time, it will overlap with the end of the Indy 500. The Indy 500 was scheduled to go green at 12:45 p.m. ET this year but was delayed for rain showers. The Monaco Grand Prix hasn't been held on Memorial Day weekend every year of its existence, but its absence from the same day of the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 will be a stark change for race fans who have become accustomed to watching all three events in the same day. The ninth and final European race of the year will also be a new race on the calendar. F1 will host a second race in Spain on a street circuit in Madrid on Sept. 13. That race replaces Imola on the calendar. Imola has held a spring Grand Prix in recent years, but is being dropped for 2026 and beyond. Advertisement The 2026 season begins again in Australia before races in China and Japan ahead of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The Miami Grand Prix will be on May 3, while the United States Grand Prix in Austin will be on Oct. 25 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be on Nov. 21. The Vegas race will again be followed by races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to close the season. 2026 Formula 1 schedule March 8: Australian Grand Prix March 15: Chinese Grand Prix March 29: Japanese Grand Prix April 12: Bahrain Grand Prix April 19: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix May 3: Miami Grand Prix May 24: Canadian Grand Prix June 7: Monaco Grand Prix June 14: Spanish Grand Prix Advertisement June 28: Austrian Grand Prix July 5: British Grand Prix July 19: Belgian Grand Prix July 26: Hungarian Grand Prix Aug. 23: Dutch Grand Prix Sept. 6: Italian Grand Prix Sept. 13: Madrid Grand Prix Sept. 27: Azerbaijan Grand Prix Oct. 11: Singapore Grand Prix Oct. 25: United States Grand Prix Nov. 1: Mexico Grand Prix Nov. 8: São Paulo Grand Prix Nov. 21: Las Vegas Grand Prix Nov. 29: Qatar Grand Prix Dec. 6: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
When Big Finance Meets Big Wind: How Bank-Sponsored Boats Shape SailGP
The overall winner of Sail GP NYC '25 was team Spain, sponsored by the Spanish bank Santander. Their ... More driver, Diego Botín, is a direct descendant of the bank's founder. New York City's waterfront isn't just a postcard-perfect backdrop for foiling catamarans. It is also a growing arena for business. SailGP returned to the New York Harbor this past weekend, and this season it is not only supercharged by strong winds, it is powered by major financial players. In the high-stakes world of elite sailing, banks have moved from backseat sponsors to visible team partners, aligning capital and results in ways that are rapidly transforming the sport and its commercial appeal. Launched in 2018 with backing from Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts, SailGP set out to emulate Formula 1 on water. From the outset, the goal was clear: to build a market-driven league where teams are commercially viable and independently operated. Initially, all teams were owned by SailGP. Today, several are independently owned, and bank sponsorship has become integral to their success. The Spanish SailGP Team is backed by Santander Private Banking, part of the 14th largest bank in the world. They say this partnership reflects their focus on innovation, technology, and international visibility. The Germany SailGP Team secured a three-year partnership with Deutsche Bank Wealth Management. They are linking this investment into themes of sustainability, client engagement, and ocean conservation. Team USA is sponsored by the fintech Apex, a platform used by financial institutions to manage their operations. These boats now double as hospitality platforms for high-value clients and prospects. Waterfront viewing decks, private on-board experiences, and exclusive networking events replace traditional stadium boxes. The German SailGP team is sponsored by Deutsche Bank. The financial impact of sponsorships is tangible. The U.S. team is currently raising new funding at a $125 pre-million valuation, nearly doubling from its previous round just 18 months ago. The rise in valuation is tied to the strength of its commercial partnerships, which now also include major brands like Amazon and Tommy Hilfiger. The league has also expanded significantly, growing from six national teams in 2018 to twelve today. The number of live events has increased from five in 2019 to fourteen this year. As such, SailGP's reach continues to grow, with global viewership exceeding 200 million and U.S. audience numbers rising sharply. In New York, in-person attendance doubled from 5,000 last year to 10,000 this year. Earlier in the season, the race in Auckland, New Zealand, set a new record with 40,000 spectators watching live. That reach enhances the value proposition for financial sponsors looking for differentiated ways to connect with clients and reinforce their brand values. Team USA is sponsored by the fintech firm Apex, a platform used by financial institutions to manage ... More their operations. Bank sponsors are also using SailGP to showcase environmental leadership. Deutsche Bank's involvement supports its blue economy strategy. SailGP runs an internal competition, the Impact League, which scores teams based on sustainability metrics. This structure offers sponsors a tangible link to environmental action, turning sailing into a narrative about responsible growth and innovation. With rising regulatory pressure and investor demand for ESG accountability, bank involvement in SailGP provides a compelling platform to demonstrate progress on sustainability goals. For more like this on Forbes, check out The Legacy Banks Quietly Building The Future Of Finance and The 3 Innovation Challenges Keeping Bank CEOs Awake At Night.
