Tuesday (16) was a busy day in F1. The category and the FIA confirmed the Sprint calendar for 2026 with six stages – but for the first time since the creation of the format, Interlagos was left out. The short tests will take place in Shanghai, Miami, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort, and Singapore, combining circuits that have already tested the model with debuts and a notable return to the birthplace of the first Sprint in 2021.
Still today, F1 released the official start times for all 24 races of 2026. The season starts in Melbourne (March 8) and ends in Abu Dhabi (December 6), maintaining the logic of 2025, but with a relevant change: the Canadian GP starts two hours later to avoid clashing with the Indianapolis 500. The São Paulo GP starts at 2 pm (Brasília time), while Baku and Las Vegas remain with Saturday races.
In the Middle East, the Qatar GP remains confirmed “for now” after an aerial attack in Doha this week. The organization is monitoring the situation, but so far, there have been no changes to the official schedule of the stage in Lusail. The scenario reinforces the cautious attitude of the parties involved while evaluating potential impacts on logistics and event security.
The combination of these announcements helps to draw the panorama of a 2026 season that is already born with sports novelties, such as the new generation technical package and 100% sustainable fuel, in addition to the debut of Cadillac as the 11th team on the grid. In parallel, the absence of Brazil in the Sprint ignites the debate about the balance between spectacle, logistics, and sports value – a theme that should remain on the radar of promoters and FOM until the start of the new era.
