Canadian Grand Prix agrees to reschedule of its race to allow calendar rationalisation
Formula One announced the Canadian Grand Prix will take place earlier from 2026 which will allow the sport to rationalise the race calendar and make it more sustainable.
Formula One has revealed that the Canadian Grand Prix is planned to be scheduled on the third or fourth weekend of May each year from 2026 following a successful discussion with the promoter of the Canadian Grand Prix, Octane Racing Group, and key stakeholders from the Canadian Government, Canada Economic Development for Québec Regions, Government of Québec, Ministry of Tourism (Québec), the City of Montreal, Tourism Montreal, and the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau
The move will allow the European leg of the season to be consolidated into one consecutive period over the European summer months and is planned to remove an additional transatlantic crossing by the Formula 1 community each year, with significant associated carbon reductions.
The announcement builds upon the changes already made to the calendar by F1 in recent years to create a more rationalised schedule. The Japanese Grand Prix has moved to the spring to align with races in the Asia Pacific region, Azerbaijan has moved to the autumn as the Championship turns east to Singapore, and Qatar has moved to be closely aligned with Abu Dhabi at the end of the season.
As previously announced, as part of this wider rationalisation of the calendar, the Monaco Grand Prix will be contested on the first full weekend in June each year from 2026.
Commenting on the change to the race calendar, Formula One's CEO and President Stefano Domenicali said: “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.
"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.”
Speaking of the change, Octane Racing Group's CEO Jean-Philippe Paradis added: "This change in the schedule is a major step in our commitment, as well as Formula 1’s, toward a more sustainable future. It demonstrates our desire to combine sporting performance and event organization with environmental responsibility.
"We are determined to offer our fans, our communities, and our loyal audience a unique and enriched experience, in addition to extending the summer season for Montreal. The date change thus fully integrates into the dynamic strategic vision put in place by our team, with the collaboration of our stakeholders, which is fully focused on delivering an amazing Canadian Grand Prix experience in a more sustainable and inclusive environment.”
