Formula 1 has made the bold decision to move the Canadian Grand Prix forward to May from 2026, in a bid to help make the sport more sustainable.
The Montreal race, a staple on the calendar, usually takes place in June, in the middle of a run of European races – before Spain and after Monaco.
But, from 2026, that will no longer be the case, with Canada moved forward. It is predicted that it will take place directly after Miami, keeping the teams in North America for an extra race, before they head back to Europe for a long summer stint.
In a press release on Monday, F1 said: ‘With renewed commitment and collaboration, from the 2026 season, the Grand Prix is set to be scheduled on the third or fourth weekend of May each year, with all future Formula 1 calendars subject to confirmation by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.
‘The move will allow the European leg of the F1 season to be consolidated into one consecutive period over Europe’s summer months and is planned to remove an additional transatlantic crossing by the F1 community each year – meaning significant associated carbon reductions.’
In a similar move previously announced, the Japanese Grand Prix has been switched to the spring to align with other Asian races, while Azerbaijan is now in the autumn as races head east towards Singapore.
‘I am incredibly grateful to the promoter and all of the government stakeholder partners involved in the Canadian Grand Prix, from the local, to the provincial and national government,’ F1’s president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said.
‘We applaud the tremendous effort from all involved to accelerate the temporary build of the event, to be ready to host the Formula 1 community earlier than in the past.
‘The change will make the future flow of our calendar not only more sustainable, but logistically more sensible for our teams and personnel.
‘Our Net Zero by 2030 commitment continues to be a priority for us as a sport and it is thanks to changes like this that we are on track to hitting our goal.’
Max Verstappen was the winner of this year’s Canadian Grand Prix, with a British trio following him over the line in Lando Norris, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
