F1 2026 Calendar By The Numbers: 23 Races, 6 Sprints, One New Circuit
Welcome to the Happy Hour Racing Formula 1 Track Preview - the Friday data post. There is no Grand Prix this weekend, so this one is a between-races feature on the calendar itself: what changed, what is left, and every circuit ranked by lap length.
The Short Version
The 2026 Formula 1 calendar is not the one that was announced. Two races were pulled in March, one venue was added in their place, and a brand-new circuit shows up in September. What is left is 23 Grands Prix in 20 countries, six of them sprint weekends. Twelve of those races are still to come. Here is the whole thing, by the numbers.
How The 2026 F1 Calendar Got Rewritten
Formula 1 first published a 24-race 2026 calendar. It did not survive the spring. In March, F1 confirmed that the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah would not run, citing the conflict in the Middle East. No replacement events were staged on those April weekends, and the season dropped to 22 races.
Then Sepang came back. Formula 1 and the FIA confirmed the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia would host a Grand Prix on October 4, and the event kept the Bahrain Grand Prix name even though it runs 4,000 miles away. That is a genuinely strange line on a results sheet, and it is also the first F1 race in Malaysia since 2017, when Max Verstappen won there.
Two other changes were planned all along. Imola was not renewed, and the Spanish Grand Prix moved to a new street circuit in Madrid. Barcelona still gets a race, just under a different name, so Spain hosts two Grands Prix this year. Only the United States hosts more, with Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas.
Every 2026 Circuit, Longest Lap To Shortest
Add up all 23 circuits and you get 118.944 kilometres of race track, which averages out to 5.171 km a lap. The spread is huge. Spa-Francorchamps runs 7.004 km, more than twice the length of Monaco at 3.337 km. A driver can complete two full laps of Monaco in less track than one lap of Spa.
Corner counts do not follow lap length at all. The new Madrid circuit is only mid-pack for distance at 5.474 km but packs in 22 corners, the most anywhere on the calendar. Monza is the second-longest lap in Europe at 5.793 km and has just 11 corners. The Red Bull Ring has the fewest of all, with 10 turns in 4.326 km.
The Madring: What The New Circuit Actually Is
The Madrid circuit, called the Madring, is built around the IFEMA exhibition centre northeast of the city. It is a hybrid layout, part purpose-built permanent track and part public road, designed by Carsten Tilke. The lap is 5.474 km with 22 corners and two DRS zones.
The feature everyone will talk about is La Monumental, a 550-metre banked corner named after the bullring tradition it borrows from. It is the longest banked turn in Formula 1 and was built wide enough to run two cars side by side, which is the whole point. There is also a short tunnel section. Madrid is contracted through at least 2035, so this is a track fans will get to know well.
A total solar eclipse at the MADRING! 🌑
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 13, 2026
It's only one month to go until we're racing in Madrid for the #SpanishGP 🤩
#F1
Zandvoort Is Saying Goodbye
The other big calendar story is a farewell. The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix on August 23 is the last Formula 1 race at Circuit Zandvoort. The promoter chose not to seek an extension past 2026, and the reasons were financial rather than a lack of interest. The event stayed sold out to the end.
Zandvoort is going out with something it never had before. Its final race is a sprint weekend, one of three first-time sprint venues in 2026 along with Montreal and Singapore. At 4.259 km with 14 corners, it is the fourth-shortest lap on the calendar, and the banked Turn 3 and Turn 14 are why fans loved it. Silverstone is also back on the sprint list for the first time since the format debuted there in 2021.
What Is Left To Race For
Eleven rounds are done and 12 remain, starting at Zandvoort. Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the championship on 219 points with six wins, 50 clear of Lewis Hamilton on 169, with George Russell third on 160. Mercedes leads the constructors on 379 to Ferrari's 307.
The 12 remaining Grands Prix are worth 300 points to a driver who wins them all, and the two remaining sprints at Zandvoort and Singapore add eight more apiece. In other words, a 50-point gap in August is a real lead, but it is nowhere near a decided championship. Max Verstappen sits sixth on 109 points and has not won a race all year, which is the single strangest number of the 2026 season.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 calendar lost two races, gained one back under a borrowed name, opened a brand-new circuit, and is about to lose a fan favorite for good. Twelve rounds left, two sprints, and one driver holding a 50-point lead. The second half starts at Zandvoort on August 23.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many races are in the 2026 F1 season?
Twenty-three Grands Prix, down from the 24 originally announced, after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds were cancelled in March and Sepang was added in October.
Which circuit has the longest lap in F1 2026?
Spa-Francorchamps at 7.004 km. Monaco is the shortest at 3.337 km, and the average across all 23 circuits is 5.171 km.
How many sprint races are there in 2026?
Six: China, Miami, Canada, Britain, the Netherlands, and Singapore. Montreal, Zandvoort, and Singapore are hosting sprints for the first time.
Is 2026 the last F1 race at Zandvoort?
Yes. The Dutch Grand Prix on August 23, 2026 is the final Formula 1 race at Circuit Zandvoort, and the promoter chose not to renew past this year.
What is the new F1 circuit in Madrid?
The Madring, a 5.474 km hybrid street and permanent circuit with 22 corners built around the IFEMA centre, hosting the Spanish Grand Prix on September 13.
Shop The Story
We stock race-weekend gear tied to the circuits on this calendar. A few that are in stock right now:
- Formula 1 Tech Limited Edition Belgian GP Hat, White - Spa, the longest lap on the calendar.
- Red Bull Racing Special Edition Austin GP Bucket Hat - for the Circuit of the Americas round in October.
- PUMA Formula 1 Las Vegas Special Edition T-Shirt - the 6.201 km Strip circuit in November.
- McLaren Special Edition Miami GP Tank Jersey - one of the six sprint weekends.
- Max Verstappen RB16B Dutch GP 1:18 Model Car - a Zandvoort keepsake in its final year.
More caps are in the F1 hats collection, and everything new lands in the latest arrivals.
