F1 Dec 07, 2025

F1 2026 calendar: Race schedule, highlights, results, pre-season testing, Sprint venues, driver line-ups, new regulations, live Sky Sports coverage

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
F1 2026 calendar: Race schedule, highlights, results, pre-season testing, Sprint venues, driver line-ups, new regulations, live Sky Sports coverage

As the 2025 Formula 1 season reaches a thrilling climax, here's a look at all you need to know for F1 in 2026.

The 2026 season will feature 24 rounds again with the season starting in Melbourne, Australia on March 6-8 through to Abu Dhabi on December 4-6.

There will be a new track on the calendar in the form of Madrid in September, as the drivers will race around the streets of the Spanish capital, while Imola has dropped off the schedule.

The biggest change is the regulations as new technical rules mean we will see new cars and a likely shaken up pecking order.

American manufacturer Cadillac will join the grid, so there will be 11 teams for the first time for the first time since 2016.

McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

Williams: Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon

Racing Bulls: Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad

Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll

Haas: Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman

Audi: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto

Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto

Cadillac: Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas

The big change in 2026 will be a complete overhaul of the technical regulations that will see major changes to the power unit, chassis and aerodynamic rules. The cars will be very different to say the least.

New car design rules in F1 almost certainly causes a shake-up to the pecking order. SportNews F1's Martin Brundle has described the new regulations as the "biggest changes ever" in the sport.

The teams have long been working on their 2026 cars because the regulations are scheduled to be in place for five seasons. Being quick from next year will set you up to be competitive for the years to come. Mercedes' dominance in 2014, for example, lasted until 2016 before they were finally caught by Ferrari and Red Bull.

There will be no more DRS, instead we will see moving wings and it's expected the cars will be able to follow each other more closely, so there will be more overtaking.

Got Sky?

TV: Sky Customers can watch every track session live on SportNews F1

App: Sky Customers can also watch on the - with the option to go onboard with any driver!

Not got Sky?

Stream: Non Sky Customers can

Live blog: Anyone on the move can follow live coverage of the race weekend through our

FREE Highlights:

SportNews Subscribers can:

Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2026 Formula 1 season live on SportNews F1.

Tags:

f1 news id:13478323

Share this article

Related Posts

Lando Norris makes 'best car' prediction as McLaren plot 2026 Formula 1 season fightback ahead of Japanese Grand Prix

Lando Norris makes 'best car' prediction as McLaren plot 2026 Formula 1 season fightback ahead of Japanese Grand Prix

Lando Norris believes McLaren will have the best Formula 1 car later this season despite a challenging start to his title defence.Norris suffered his...

Japanese GP: George Russell vs Kimi Antonelli at Suzuka and can McLaren, Red Bull hit back in third round of 2026 F1 season?

Japanese GP: George Russell vs Kimi Antonelli at Suzuka and can McLaren, Red Bull hit back in third round of 2026 F1 season?

Your Site F1 look at the key talking points ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at the iconic Suzuka Circuit.George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have one G...

Japanese GP: How much trouble are Aston Martin in ahead of Honda's home race as Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll prepare for tricky Suzuka weekend?

Japanese GP: How much trouble are Aston Martin in ahead of Honda's home race as Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll prepare for tricky Suzuka weekend?

Aston Martin are in the middle of a nightmare heading into the home Formula 1 event of their engine supplier Honda in Japan with Adrian Newey’s status...

Japanese GP: George Russell says 'not right' Mercedes rivals are trying to slow Silver Arrows down as front wing comes under spotlight

Japanese GP: George Russell says 'not right' Mercedes rivals are trying to slow Silver Arrows down as front wing comes under spotlight

George Russell says it is "not right" Mercedes' rivals are trying to slow them down after their front wing came under the spotlight ahead of this week...

F1 Japanese GP: LIVE: Race, Qualifying, Practice updates, results, stream, highlights from 2026 Formula 1 race at Suzuka

F1 Japanese GP: LIVE: Race, Qualifying, Practice updates, results, stream, highlights from 2026 Formula 1 race at Suzuka

Salah tipped to join top European club instead of moving to Saudi ArabiaLiverpools Mohamed Salah has been tipped to defy Saudi Arabian mega-bucks...

Japanese GP: F1 drivers react to Suzuka qualifying rule tweak aimed at reducing energy management on fast laps

Japanese GP: F1 drivers react to Suzuka qualifying rule tweak aimed at reducing energy management on fast laps

A rule change introduced for qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix aimed at reducing the amount of ‘lifting and coasting’ required on a fast lap has b...