The FIA has revealed the session times for the 2026 Formula 1 season, confirming that the Canadian Grand Prix will move to later in the day to avoid a clash with the Indianapolis 500.
The session times for the 2026 Formula 1 season have been confirmed by the FIA. The 24-round 2026 F1 calendar was revealed back in June, while the Sprint calendar was confirmed earlier today.
As previously announced, the FIA has confirmed that the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place on Saturday September 26, as the following day is a national Remembrance Day in the country. The race was moved forward by one day following a request from the promoter. Elsewhere, the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix will begin at 16:00 local time – two hours later than in 2025, to avoid a clash with the Indianapolis 500.
Compared to the 2025 season, start times remain virtually unchanged aside from races which will host the Sprint format in 2026 but did not in 2025, or vice versa.
2026 Formula 1 Session Times
The tables below shows the session times for the 2026 Formula 1 season in full. Listed below are the start times for traditional race weekends. At these races, there are two practice sessions on a Friday, a final practice session and qualifying on Saturday and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday. Scroll down to see session times for the six Sprint weekends on the 2026 calendar.
The table below shows the schedule for the six Sprint weekends on the 2026 calendar. At Sprint weekends, the format is different. Friday features a single hour of practice followed by Sprint Qualifying. The Sprint race takes place on Saturday, followed by Grand Prix qualifying, while the Grand Prix itself takes place as normal on Sunday.
| Event | FP1 | Sprint Quali | Sprint | Qualifying | Grand Prix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Chinese GP (March 13-15) | 11:30 | 15:30 | 11:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
| 2026 Miami GP (May 1-3) | 12:30 | 16:30 | 12:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
| 2026 Canadian GP (May 22-24) | 12:30 | 16:30 | 12:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
| 2026 British GP (July 2-5) | 12:30 | 16:30 | 12:00 | 16:00 | 15:00 |
| 2026 Dutch GP (Aug 21-23) | 12:30 | 16:30 | 12:00 | 16:00 | 15:00 |
| 2026 Singapore GP (Oct 9-11) | 17:30 | 20:30 | 17:00 | 21:00 | 20:00 |
Canadian Grand Prix Will Not Clash With the Indianapolis 500
The Canadian Grand Prix moves to a new slot on the calendar in 2025. Previously held in June, next year’s Montreal race will take place on May 24 – clashing with the Indianapolis 500. Previously, the race was scheduled to start at 14:00 local time, which was a direct clash with the 500-mile oval race.
Thankfully, F1 has seen sense and, following engagement with IndyCar, has moved the start time of the Canadian Grand Prix to 16:00, which should allow motorsport fans to enjoy both events.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Moves To Saturday
A revision to the calendar since it was first announced is a date change for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Previously scheduled for September 27, the race moves forward by one day to Saturday September 26. The date change avoids a clash with the country’s Remembrance Day.
It means that Free Practice for the Baku race will begin on Thursday, with qualifying taking place on Friday. It is one of two Saturday races on the 2026 calendar, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix also scheduled to take place on a Saturday night for the fourth year in a row.
