The 2026 motorsport calendar sets up an unprecedented clash between Formula 1, the Indy 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The release of the 2026 F1 calendar this morning by the FIA (available here) is unlikely to please hardcore motorsport fans—quite the opposite, in fact.
For the first time in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship, it will directly go head-to-head with the Indianapolis 500 in 2026, due to the rescheduling of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Traditionally, the Montreal race is held on the second weekend of June, a few weeks after the Monaco GP and the Indianapolis 500, which takes place at the end of May.
However, in 2026, in an effort to improve regionalization of the calendar, the Canadian GP has been moved forward to the weekend of May 22–24, while the Monaco race is pushed back to June 5–7.
With this schedule, Canada forms a mini North American leg with Miami, which is set for May 1–3, before Monaco kicks off an uninterrupted European season that wraps up with the new Spanish GP in Madrid from September 11–13.
As a result, and by moving Montreal to May 24, it means that, for the first time ever, a Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place at the exact same time as the Indy 500!
The Indy 500 typically starts around 6:45 p.m. (French time) on the Sunday before Memorial Day, which falls on Monday, May 25 in 2026.
The Canadian Grand Prix starts at 8:00 p.m., a time zone ideal for European viewers.
The Indy 500 usually lasts between two and a half to three hours, meaning there will be a direct clash between the two races, targeting roughly the same market.
F1 will no doubt face questions about this conflict, as there are three weeks between Miami and Montreal, even though two would have sufficed from a logistics and freight standpoint. Moving Montreal up by a week would have avoided this clash, though the FOM will likely present solid reasons for this decision…
Another major clash may also occur between F1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
F1 typically leaves a weekend open for Le Mans, with the last clash occurring in 2016 and the next one set to happen… this weekend in Canada. However, the start and finish times of both races help minimize the impact for television audiences.
But in the 2026 calendar, Barcelona is currently scheduled for June 12–14, which means the race and Le Mans could end around the same time—unless the 24-hour endurance classic is pushed to the third weekend of June.
