Overview
- Season opens in Australia on March 6–8 and ends in Abu Dhabi on December 4–6, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia moved to April to accommodate Ramadan.
- The new Madrid Grand Prix is scheduled for September 11–13 pending FIA homologation, replacing Emilia-Romagna on a 24-round slate.
- Preseason running features a private Barcelona shakedown on January 26–30 followed by two official Bahrain tests on February 11–13 and 18–20.
- The 2026 rules remove the MGU-H, target roughly a 50/50 combustion–electric power split, mandate 100% sustainable fuels and introduce active aero elements.
- The grid expands to 11 teams as Cadillac enters with Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas, Alpine switches to Mercedes power units and gearboxes, Audi replaces Sauber, and Red Bull promotes Isack Hadjar alongside Max Verstappen.