F1 Grand Prix season 2026 line-up revealed: Sky Sports F1 pundit Jamie Chadwick analyses new rules for season

Lando Norris will begin the defence of his Formula One world championship at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, as F1 chiefs revealed the line-up of grand prix for the new season - and a string of rule changes. Fans are gearing up for the new battle for the title, with the likes of Max Verstappen vying to overturn the Briton's win - his first F1 world championship.

Starting in Melbourne on March 8, with a 4am UK start time, the F1 circus then moves to China for a race in Shanghai on March 15, and Japan on March 29. Racing is due in Bahrain, recently the victim of strikes in the UK/Israel war with Iran, on April 12, and neighbour Saudi Arabia a week later.

Cars will take to the grids of North America in June, in Miami, US, on May 3, and in Montreal, Canada, on May 24, before the roadshow heads to Europe. Important to UK fans, the British Grand Prix, at Silverstone, is set for July 5.

F1 Grand Prix season 2026

Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)

• Date: March 8
• Time: 04:00
• Number of laps: 58
• 2025 winner: Lando Norris

Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai)

• Date: March 15
• Time: 07:00
• Number of laps: 56
• 2025 winner: Oscar Piastri

Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)

• Date: March 29
• Time: 06:00
• Number of laps: 53
• 2025 winner: Max Verstappen

Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir)

• Date: April 12
• Time: 16:00
• Number of laps: 57
• 2025 winner: Oscar Piastri

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah)

• Date: April 19
• Time: 18:00
• Number of laps: 50
• 2025 winner: Oscar Piastri

Miami Grand Prix

• Date: May 3
• Time: 21:00
• Number of laps: 57
• 2025 winner: Oscar Piastri

Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)

• Date: May 24
• Time: 21:00
• Number of laps: 70
• 2025 winner: George Russell

Monaco Grand Prix (Monte Carlo)

• Date: Jun 7
• Time: 14:00
• Number of laps: 78
• 2025 winner: Lando Norris

Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix (Barcelona)

• Date: June 14
• Time: 14:00
• Number of laps: 66
• 2025 winner: Oscar Piastri

Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg)

• Date: June 28
• Time: 14:00
• Number of laps: 71
• 2025 winner: Lando Norris

British Grand Prix (Silverstone)

• Date: July 5
• Time: 15:00
• Number of laps: 52
• 2025 winner: Lando Norris

Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)

• Date: July 19
• Time: 14:00
• Number of laps: 44
• 2025 winner: Oscar Piastri

Hungarian Grand Prix (Budapest)

• Date: July 26
• Time: 14:00
• Number of laps: 70
• 2025 winner: Lando Norris

Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)

• Date: August 23
• Time: 14:00
• Number of laps: 72
• 2025 winner: Oscar Piastri

Italian Grand Prix (Monza)

• Date: September 6
• Time: 14:00
• Number of laps: 53
• 2025 winner: Max Verstappen

Spanish Grand Prix (Madrid)

• Date: September 13
• Time: 14:00
• Number of laps: 57
• 2025 winner: N/A

Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)

• Date: September 26
• Time: 12:00
• Number of laps: 51
• 2025 winner: Max Verstappen

Singapore Grand Prix (Marina Bay)

• Date: October 11
• Time: 13:00
• Number of laps: 62
• 2025 winner: George Russell

United States Grand Prix (Austin)

• Date: October 25
• Time: 20:00
• Number of laps: 56
• 2025 winner: Max Verstappen

Mexico Grand Prix (Mexico City)

• Date: November 1
• Time: 20:00
• Number of laps: 71
• 2025 winner: Lando Norris

Brazilian Grand Prix (Interlagos)

• Date: November 8
• Time: 17:00
• Number of laps: 71
• 2025 winner: Lando Norris

Las Vegas Grand Prix

• Date: November 22
• Time: 04:00
• Number of laps: 50
• 2025 winner: Max Verstappen

Qatar Grand Prix (Lusail)

• Date: November 29
• Time: 16:00
• Number of laps: 57
• 2025 winner: Max Verstappen

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina)

• Date: December 6
• Time: 13:00
• Number of laps: 58
• 2025 winner: Max Verstappen

New F1 rules - 2026 season

The programme was revealed as former W Series champion and Sky Sports F1 pundit, Jamie Chadwick, analysed new rules for this season - and pledged to change the way girls enter motor racing.

The star, who has pledged 5,000 free karting sessions for girls in a significant new initiative, has analysed the latest updates to rules of the F1 road.

He said cars this season are "lighter, smaller and the power unit is now half combustion and half electrical energy", which would be "very different to anything we have seen before".

The introduction of electric power could change the game for some drivers, he said, who are "starting from scratch here with so much to learn".

Restrictions on battery use will impact qualifying sessions, he said, with drivers unable to go "flat-out", as they will run out of battery. It meant drivers would need to adapt, becoming adept at managing their cars to get "the most effective use out of your combustion engine and hybrid power unit".

Meanwhile, both front and rear wings will now move to reduce drag, while drivers are also able to deploy an 'overtake' button during the race, which provides an extra boost of power.

"However, the compromise of using the new mode is that you will burn more energy and when you get to the exit of the corner, you are potentially going to have a battery that doesn’t have as much juice as the driver you have just overtaken which leaves you vulnerable to attack," Chadwick said.

The racer said it was "too early to say" what impact the changes would have on F1, and that he was unable to assess whether the new electrified introductions would be "good or bad".

"Yes, it is certainly more complex and is not what Formula One has historically been about, which is a flat-out approach, but I don’t think that it is a bad thing as long as the spectacle reflects great racing and rewards the best driver from a driving point of view, and an intelligence point of view, too," he added.

As for predictions, he said Mercedes - and driver George Russell - have been "waiting for this moment".

"He will be hungry to maximise the opportunity and my money is on him to win the world title," Chadwick said.

"Nobody was expecting Red Bull’s new power unit to run as efficiently and as reliably as it did in testing, and with Max Verstappen at the wheel, he will get the absolute most out if it.

"There is a question mark over Ferrari because they have been quite radical in their approach. But they look strong, and the lighter and smaller cars will suit Lewis Hamilton.

"For Lando Norris, the confidence he has gained from winning the title is going to be significant. We will see a more relaxed Norris this year. He will be in a really strong headspace to get the most out of his McLaren."

Away from F1, the Jamie Chadwick Series is offering 5,000 free karting sessions for girls at Daytona Motorsport tracks across the country. Registrations will open on March 8 - International Women’s Day.