F1 2026 calendar: Race schedule, highlights, results, Sprint venues, driver line-ups, new regulations, live Sky Sports coverage

The season will now feature 22 rounds following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April due to the Middle East conflict. The 2026 campaign started in Australia in early March and runs through to Abu Dhabi on December 4-6.

There will be a new track on the calendar in the form of Madrid in September, as the drivers will race around the streets of the Spanish capital, while Imola has dropped off the schedule.

The biggest change is the regulations as new technical rules mean we will see new cars and a likely shaken-up pecking order throughout the season.

American manufacturer Cadillac will join the grid, so there will be 11 teams for the first time since 2016 and Britain's Arvid Lindblad is the only rookie in the field.

Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

Racing Bulls: Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad

Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll

Audi: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto

Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto

Cadillac: Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas

The big change in 2026 will be a complete overhaul of the technical regulations that will see major changes to the power unit, chassis and aerodynamic rules. The cars will be very different to say the least.

New car design rules in F1 almost certainly causes a shake-up to the pecking order. Sky Sports F1 's Martin Brundle has described the new regulations as the "biggest changes ever" in the sport.

The teams have long been working on their 2026 cars because the regulations are scheduled to be in place for five seasons. Being quick from this season will set you up to be competitive for the years to come. Mercedes' dominance in 2014, for example, lasted until 2016 before they were finally caught by Ferrari and Red Bull.

There will be no more DRS, instead we will have "Overtake Mode" where the drivers can use more power on designated straights if they are within one second of another car. We will also see "Active Aero" which means the front and rear wings will be moving before and after corners.

Different deployment strategies are expected, so we could see drivers attacking in unusual places which will create a variation in overtaking opportunities.

How to watch or stream F1 in the UK and Ireland

TV: Sky Customers can watch every track session live on Sky Sports F1

App: Sky Customers can also watch on the Sky Sports app - with the option to go onboard with any driver!

Live blog: Anyone on the move can follow live coverage of the race weekend through our dedicated F1 blog

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Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - No contract, cancel anytime