THE announced that From 2026, the Canadian Grand Prix will be moved to an earlier date to “streamline” the schedule and should be close to the Miami event.
Through a press release published this Monday, F1 declared that the race It is “scheduled for the third or fourth weekend of May each year”, rather than mid-June as has typically been the case in recent seasons.
This change comes after it was confirmed last week that from the end of May to the first weekend of June from 2026, as part of the renewal of his contract until the 2031 season.
It was expected that this would leave the possibility of moving forward and linking in a more logical way the Montreal event, which also has a contract until 2031, with the race of which is held at the beginning of May since its arrival on the calendar in 2022.
In 2025, the season will begin with a stage in Oceania-Asia which will begin in and will conclude in passing through before leaving to And in the Middle East, two races delayed due to the VAR(–vmsc-fg-default)); font-family: VAR(–vmsf-primary);”>Ramadan.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19 at the start.
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
A schedule uniting Miami and Canada would eliminate a problematic Atlantic crossing for all teams traveling from their bases in Europe and create what is known as “the European season” without any problems along the way during the months of summer.
The Formula 1 press release specifies that this measure is part of its “efforts to streamline the racing calendar and make it more sustainable holding the event earlier than usual in recent years.
This includes Japan moving from its traditional end-of-season date to the start, Baku going the other direction and Qatar now joining Abu Dhabi after being a standalone event in 2023.
Stefano DomenicaliF1 CEO, said: “I am incredibly grateful to the promoter and all government stakeholders involved in the Canadian GP, from local to provincial and national government.”
“We welcome the enormous efforts made by everyone involved to accelerate the temporary construction of the event and be ready to welcome the F1 community earlier than in the past.”
“The change will make the future flow of our calendar not only more sustainable, but also more logistically sound for our teams and staff. Our Net Zero by 2030 commitment remains a priority for us, and through changes like this one, we are on the right track,” he concluded.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Photo: Erik Junius
On several occasions, it had been suggested that the Montreal race take place earlier in the year and join the Miami race, but there were concerns that the cold and humid climate of the region would affect preparation.
The race takes place on an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, so it has limited access for infrastructure installation, which is likely why the suggested gap for the 2026 Canadian round is not sooner, in may.
“This change in calendar is an important step in our and Formula 1’s commitment to a more sustainable future,” he said. Jean-Philippe ParadisCEO of event promoter Octane Racing Group.
“This demonstrates our desire to combine sporting performance and event planning with environmental responsibility.”
“We are determined to offer our fans, our communities and our loyal audiences a unique and enriched experience, as well as to expand the summer season in Montreal.”
“The change of date therefore fully fits into the dynamic strategic vision put in place by our team, with the collaboration of our stakeholders, which is entirely focused on delivering an incredible Canadian GP experience in a more sustainable environment and inclusive,” he concluded.
