Formula 1’s decision to reschedule the Canadian GP to late May from 2026 sparks debate over weather, logistics, and race impact.
The Canadian F1 Grand Prix will be moved to late May next year, following the Miami race but with a three-week gap between the two events.
Is this already a concern for team principals? Temperatures could be a few degrees lower, but what else could this change?
In a press conference in Montreal, Ayao Komatsu, James Vowles, and Frédéric Vasseur were invited to share their thoughts.
“I think even at this time of year here, the weather is quite unpredictable,” joked Komatsu, the Haas F1 team principal.
“Even in mid-June, we can get a dry race, a wet race, very changeable conditions, very hot or very cold. So I’m sure the teams have no issue with this shift in timing.”
“I don’t think it will be radically different — it’s not going to snow! I think it’s a good thing for everyone to look at optimizing travel logistics with this pairing with Miami.”
For Vowles, the Williams F1 team principal, “I’ve had the pleasure of coming here in winter… and I absolutely don’t want to race here in winter; it’s bitterly cold.”
“But I think late May is perfect. The way they’ve approached it makes sense from a calendar standpoint, just to avoid excessive travel around the globe. I think everything will be absolutely fine. I don’t think it would drastically change — as Ayao said — the outcome. Not really. I think we all adapt quite well now to warmer or colder temperatures.”
Finally, for Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, “I don’t expect too much disruption. I just hope it won’t be too difficult with the weather conditions. I don’t think so. And for organizing the calendar, it’s a good decision. It makes complete sense.”
