Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands to host Sprint races in 2026

The 2026 Formula 1 season has seen some notable changes made to the calendar, with one of the biggest being the addition of a sprint race at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

For the first time since sprint races were introduced in 2021, Silverstone will rejoin the sprint weekend format, which is expected to boost excitement and ticket sales for the traditionally packed British GP weekend.

The British Grand Prix sprint will return as one of six sprint events scheduled for 2026. This shorter race format includes an additional qualifying session on Friday to determine the starting grid for the sprint race on Saturday, which itself covers approximately 100 kilometres.

The sprint weekend also features a reduction in practice sessions, with only one hour of practice allowed instead of the usual three one-hour sessions. Sunday race remains unchanged. 

Other sprint events in 2026 will be held in China, Miami, Canada, the Netherlands, and Singapore, with Canada, the Netherlands, and Singapore hosting sprint races for the first time. 

Meanwhile, the sprint format will be dropped from Belgium, Austin, Brazil, and Qatar for 2026. Sprint races have been credited with increasing fan engagement and revenue since their introduction, and there is talk of potentially expanding the number of sprint events to 12 per season from 2027, including experimentation with format tweaks like reverse grids.

Beyond the sprint race additions, the 2026 calendar will feature 24 races spanning five continents. The season will start in Melbourne for the Australian GP in early March and conclude in Abu Dhabi in early December.

Some major calendar changes include the debut of a new race in Madrid, Spain, which replaces the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, Italy. 

The Spanish GP will now have two events in the same year, with Barcelona continuing as a staple. The calendar will have an enhanced geographical flow with a consolidated European summer stint after the Monaco race, and a more efficient freight schedule between the Miami and Canadian GPs in May.

In addition, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs will be held in April due to Ramadan timing, and the season features three pre-season test sessions in light of the significant technical regulation changes for 2026, including new engines running on 100% advanced sustainable fuel.

This upcoming season is also expected to be the start of a new era with revised power units and active aerodynamics, which will complement the calendar changes.