2026 F1 season opens in Australia on 6-8 March with 24-race calendar

Season opener down under

The 2026 Formula 1 season will open with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, held between 6-8 March. A total of 24 races make up the campaign, which comes to a close on Sunday, 6 December in Abu Dhabi.

Formula 1 cars on track ahead of the 2026 season

Competition begins before the lights go out

Although the racing starts in March, the competition effectively begins in early January, with teams taking part in testing sessions and unveiling their car liveries ahead of the opening round. The build-up takes on added significance in 2026 because of the introduction of new regulations.

Three pre-season testing sessions

There will be three pre-season testing sessions to accommodate the rule changes. The first is a private test at the end of January in Barcelona, Spain, allowing teams to run units under the new regulations. That is followed by two weeks of testing in Bahrain.

2026 F1 testing dates

26-30 January: Barcelona (private testing)
11-13 February: Bahrain
18-20 February: Bahrain

Teams will also reveal their 2026 liveries throughout the pre-season in a variety of formats.

Full 2026 F1 calendar

6-8 March: Australia
13-15 March: China
27-29 March: Japan
10-12 April: Bahrain
17-19 April: Saudi Arabia
1-3 May: Miami
22-24 May: Canada
5-7 June: Monaco
12-14 June: Spain (Barcelona)
26-28 June: Austria
3-5 July: Great Britain
17-19 July: Belgium
24-26 July: Hungary
21-23 August: Netherlands
4-6 September: Italy
11-13 September: Spain (Madrid)
24-26 September: Azerbaijan
9-11 October: Singapore
23-25 October: United States (Austin)
30 October-1 November: Mexico
6-8 November: Brazil
19-21 November: Las Vegas
27-29 November: Qatar
4-6 December: Abu Dhabi

Azerbaijan moves to Saturday

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix shifts its slot on the calendar to Saturday, 26 September, to accommodate the country's national day.

Six sprint races in 2026

Six sprint events are scheduled for the 2026 season, with Great Britain, China, Miami, Canada, the Netherlands and Singapore all hosting the shortened race format.

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