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With the momentum the sport has been gaining, the 2026 season of Formula 1 is poised to be one of the most exciting yet. There have been some massive changes happening, from new teams, new tracks and new regulations, and keeping track of all of it can get more confusing than the definition of Papaya Rules.
So whether you’re coming for your first season of racing or are a seasoned vet, we’ve got all the information to get you up to speed!
The 2026 F1 Race Calendar
24 grands prix, six sprints
This year’s calendar kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix, on March 6th - 8th, 2026. Just like last year, there will be a total of 24 races, culminating in a final showdown at the Yas Marina Circuit for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, on December 4th - 6th, 2026.
Of the 24 race weekends, six will also feature a sprint. Shanghai, Miami and Silverstone will reprise their roles as sprint hosts, while Montreal, Zandvoort and Singapore make their debuts on the sprint calendar.
A breakdown of the full 2026 F1 race schedule can be found here.
Spanish Grand Prix moves to Madrid
2026 also marks the debut of Madrid in the rotation of cities to host an F1 race, as it prepares to take over the hosting of the Spanish Grand Prix. The race will run on the newly developed Madring circuit, which combines elements of both permanent and street tracks to bring a unique racing experience for drivers and fans.
While it may not be hosting the Spanish Grand Prix, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is still staying on the calendar. F1 recently extended its contract with the circuit, putting it on an biennial schedule to host the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032.
The schedule will be filled out by the Belgian Grand Prix in 2027, 2029, and 2031, as the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is also set to go on an alternating schedule from next year.
Final year for the Dutch Grand Prix
The Dutch Grand Prix is making its final appearance on the F1 calendar this year, with the contract Circuit Zandvoort has with F1 expiring in 2026. The beloved race is leaving with a bang as it prepares to host a sprint this year as well.
Get your grand prix tickets
You are not going to want to miss any of the action this year! Head over to our Tickets and Guides pages, where you can find the right race for you to attend and the type of pass for a perfect weekend experience.
Main players - teams, drivers and team principals
Here are the all of the teams starting the 76th season of F1, along with their drivers and team principals:
An 11th team debuts on the grid
Of the 10 teams who competed in the 2025 F1 season, nine will be making a return this year: McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Haas and Alpine.
The tenth team, Sauber, has undergone a massive rebrand and overhaul, and has become the Audi Revolut F1 team. The Sauber-Audi partnership has been in the works since 2023 and has finally culminated in the debut of Audi as a works team in 2026.
But one of the most exciting things in the world of F1 this year is the addition of an eleventh team to the grid. Cadillac is joining the ranks, making this the first time since 2016 that more than 10 teams have competed in the sport. The team is based out of the United States, and will be using Ferrari engines to begin with while their own power unit development department gets off the ground.
For more information on this, we’ve got the full breakdown of which engine each team is using, as well as complete team profiles.
Yet another Red Bull rookie and the return of two veterans
The 11 participating teams each have two drivers representing them on-track. While 2025 was a year of major reshuffling and the arrival of four new faces to the sport, 2026 is looking to be much more stable.
With Isack Hadjar moving to the Red Bull senior team, Arvid Lindblad will be making his debut in the Racing Bulls in Hadjar’s place.
Lindblad may be the only rookie of the year, but he is not the only addition to the 2026 grid. After a year of absence from the sport, both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are returning to F1 as drivers for Cadillac.
Team principal turnover for several teams
While the driver lineups have stayed relatively consistent between this and last year, several teams have had major changes to their leadership.
First and foremost is the Red Bull family. Laurent Mekies is entering his first full season at the helm of Red Bull after the team sacked their previous team principal, Christian Horner, part way through the previous season. Taking Mekies’s place as team principal of Racing Bulls was Alan Permane, who will likewise be starting his first full season in the role this year.
Horner is not currently tied to any of the teams on the F1 grid, but there are rumours of him being interested in joining Alpine, who currently does not have a formal team principal. With the departure of Oliver Oakes during the 2025 season, Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore stepped in as interim team principal until a replacement for Oakes was found. At this time the position is still yet to be filled.
The last big change in team leadership comes from the Aston Martin garage. For the first time in his several decades in F1, Adrian Newey is stepping into the role of team principal. He is taking over for Andy Cowell, who is currently serving as the team’s chief strategy officer.
Full profiles on each of the 11 team principals can be found here.
New year, new regulations
The F1 regulations are going through a major adjustment this year in what has been described as one of the biggest changes in the history of the sport. You can read a complete explanation of what all these changes are here, but the main things you need to know are…
The cars are getting a massive overhaul
Compared to the previous era of regulations, the cars this year look quite different. They are physically smaller and certain components, such as the floor and wings, have a much simpler design.
They will also rely more on environmentally-conscious sources of power. The engines are shifting to a 50/50 split between fuel and electric power (compared to 80/20 in the previous era), and the fuel they use will be 100% sustainable.
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The racing is also getting a massive overhaul
The new regulations are also introducing a whole slew of tools and techniques for the drivers to use when battling on the track. DRS is evolving into active aerodynamics, which is available to every driver on every lap and involves both the rear and front wings to increase drag in the corners and top speeds on the straights.
In place of DRS, chasing drivers will be able to use overtake mode when within one second of an opponent to get an extra boost of electrical power and facilitate overtakes. For more details on how this works, be sure to check out our in-depth explainer of what is happening with DRS in 2026.
In addition to active aero and overtake mode, drivers will be able to use boost and recharge mode to help manage the amount of electric power they have stored and when they use it to help them attack and defend while racing.
Where you can catch all the action
You don’t have to worry about missing any of the racing because every session will be available live and on-demand through various outlets depending on your location. Whether it's F1TV, Apple TV, Sky Sports F1, or other service providers, you will be able to watch every practice, qualifying and grand prix, as well as countless extra analytical and behind the scenes content.
And we’ve got a handy guide ready with all the details on which F1 streaming services are available for audiences in America, the UK and Canada.
How to play along: F1 Fantasy
If just watching is not enough for you, and you want to feel like you are part of the on-track fun, we’re got just the thing for you! F1 Fantasy is the perfect way to get play along, whether it is through a league with just your friends or a bigger community.
And we’ve got all the resources you need to get started, thanks to our F1 Fantasy show: The Fantasy Formula. From guides that can show you the basics if you’re just getting started to ones that dig into the nitty gritty of gameplay and strategy, our F1 Fantasy articles have got you covered. And our YouTube videos are a great way to learn more about the game, and even get feedback on your lineups from our excellent hosts, Adam Medeiros and Terry Widdows, who host live Q&As before every lineup deadline.
You can also join the FanAmp community by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok for exclusive features and behind the scenes content to keep you up to date on all things racing!
Cover image via Red Bull Content Pool
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