F1's 2026 Schedule Is Here, And It May Have Made The Dumbest Mistake Ever

The 2026 Formula 1 season is going to be a big one with new technical regulations, new engines, and even a new team joining the grid in Cadillac, and now we've got a look at the race schedule for '26… unfortunately, it features one of the more bizarre, head-scratching moves the series has made in a while.

There are some significant changes to the 2026 schedule. Imola has been removed in favor of a street race in Madrid, while Monaco is being bumped back to June.

That was all expected, but what is strange is the scheduling of the Canadian Grand Prix.

This year's edition of the Canadian Grand Prix is taking place this weekend; however, next year's race will be on May 24, the spot on the calendar previously belonging to Monaco and kicked off the best day on the motorsports calendar, which also includes the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.

This was so that the races in Miami and Canada could be closer together on the schedule for logistical reasons.

But while they could've happened on back-to-back weekends, F1 decided to leave two weeks between Miami and Canada, which means the latter now takes place on the same day as the Indy 500.

And therein lies the problem. 

The Monaco Grand Prix gets underway in the morning for folks in the United States, and it wraps up well before the green flag for the Indy 500.

However, that won't be the case with the Canadian Grand Prix as Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is also in the Eastern timezone, just like Indianapolis Speedway.

If next year's Canadian Grand Prix keeps the same start time — 2:00 PM ET — the lights will go out about an hour or so into the Indianapolis 500.

The decision to put the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix toe-to-toe with the Indianapolis 500 might be a bad one. (Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

That's a big problem from a ratings perspective, and that's especially the case when F1 is still looking for a US broadcast partner. There are only five or six races out of twenty-four in prime viewing windows in the US. So, why cut into those numbers by competing directly with one of the biggest races on the planet?

The way I see it, there's an easy fix: bump the race back to 4 PM ET. That way, there's a decent chance that Indy will have wrapped up or would be close to wrapping up, and then there would be plenty of time to get the F1 race in before the Coke 600 begins.

We'll see how F1 decides to play this one, but since most racing fans who like both IndyCar and F1 will absolutely choose the Indy 500 over the Canadian Grand Prix, they may want to push the race back a bit.