The 2026 Formula 1 season will begin on Sunday, March 8, with the Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit, continuing the tradition of the season opener at this venue. The upcoming season is planned to include 24 races, matching the record number held in 2024 and 2025, and is notable for some changes in the 2026 Formula 1 race schedule.
While the 2024 and 2025 seasons featured the same 24 venues, the 2026 calendar introduces modifications. The United States will maintain its position as a key host with three races taking place at Miami International Autodrome, Circuit of the Americas, and the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. However, unlike previous years where Italy hosted two events, Spain is now the country with two races on the schedule.
The Spanish Grand Prix will take place on September 13 at the new street circuit in Madrid, marking a fresh addition to the calendar. Meanwhile, the traditional event at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will continue under the updated name Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, held earlier on June 14. Italy’s Monza remains as the venue for the Italian Grand Prix, scheduled for September 6, but Imola has been removed from the race calendar.
Details Behind Imola’s Absence From the 2026 Calendar
Imola’s Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari returned unexpectedly in 2020 as the host of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after disruptions caused by COVID-19 forced cancellations elsewhere. Since then, it appeared regularly on the Formula 1 calendar, except for 2023 when flooding led to the race being canceled.
Before this recent run, Imola had not hosted a Formula 1 race since 2006, after being a fixture from 1980 to 2006. The 21-turn, 3.05-mile track in Emilia-Romagna had long been an important part of the Formula 1 circuit.
Lewis Hamilton won the race at Imola when it rejoined in 2020, but Max Verstappen dominated the track afterward, taking victories in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025, including the event’s only sprint race win in 2022. The 2023 cancellation might have prevented Verstappen from achieving a historic 20-win season.
There is speculation that Imola might still return to the calendar if geopolitical tensions in the Middle East lead to the cancellation of races such as the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit or the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
This adjustment illustrates how Formula 1 continues to adapt its global racing schedule in response to various factors, maintaining flexibility to ensure a full and competitive season.
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