Overview
- Formula 1 confirmed a 24-round 2026 season running March to December with six sprint weekends, opening in Melbourne on March 6–8 and concluding in Abu Dhabi on December 4–6.
- Bahrain and Saudi Arabia shift to April to avoid Ramadan, and the Madrid Grand Prix debuts on September 11–13 alongside Spain’s existing Barcelona round.
- Teams have clustered car and project reveals in January and February, including Haas on Jan 19, Audi on Jan 20, Mercedes on Jan 22, Alpine and Ferrari on Jan 23, Williams on Feb 3, Cadillac on Feb 8, and Aston Martin and McLaren on Feb 9.
- Aston Martin enters 2026 after a slide to seventh in the 2025 constructors’ standings due to AMR25 problems, with Fernando Alonso in the final year of his contract.
- Ex-Aston Martin figure Dan Fallows suggested that if Alonso retires, Max Verstappen could be a candidate for the seat, as F1’s Stefano Domenicali says Ferrari “have a plan” for 2026 and Helmut Marko expects experienced drivers to hold an edge.