Updated July 9, 2026
2026 isn't just another Formula 1 season — it's a hard reset. New technical regulations tore up the car design rulebook for the first time since 2022, the calendar gained a brand-new race, and the grid itself changed shape. Here's your orientation guide, whether you're new to the sport or returning after a break.
The headline change is the cars themselves. The 2026 technical regulations produced machines that are smaller, narrower, and lighter than their predecessors, designed to be more agile and easier to race wheel-to-wheel. Two changes matter most for what you see on track:
Rule resets historically scramble the competitive order: the team that nails a new formula can dominate for years (as happened in 2014 and 2022), and midfield teams can leap to the front overnight. That uncertainty is the story of the entire 2026 season.
2026 welcomed the first all-new team in a decade, with General Motors' Cadillac brand joining as the 11th team on the grid — the first American works entry of the modern era. Elsewhere the engine landscape reshuffled: Audi completed its takeover of the Sauber team as a full factory operation, Honda switched its allegiance to Aston Martin, and Red Bull began building its own power units in partnership with Ford. More manufacturers have skin in the game than at any point in decades.
The season runs from the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne (race day March 8) to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale at Yas Marina on December 6 — 22 rounds in total. The full calendar with US session times is here, but three scheduling notes stand out:
6 of the 22 weekends run the sprint format, which adds a shorter Saturday race (about 100 km, roughly a third of Grand Prix distance) with its own qualifying session and its own points. The 2026 sprint rounds are Chinese Grand Prix, Miami Grand Prix, Canadian Grand Prix, British Grand Prix, Dutch Grand Prix, and Singapore Grand Prix.
For viewers, sprint weekends simply mean more: meaningful, points-paying track action on all three days instead of two. Our race weekend format guide walks through exactly how both weekend types are structured, session by session.
Every session streams on Apple TV, which took over exclusive US broadcast rights this season — our complete US viewing guide covers subscriptions, the free options, and audio broadcasts. Race start times for US viewers swing wildly across the calendar, from overnight (Melbourne) to prime time (Las Vegas); the homepage schedule shows every session in your US time zone, and each race page has a live countdown plus a calendar download so the odd Saturday race never catches you napping.