The 2026 calendar: 24 races, six sprint weekends
The 2026 F1 season runs a 24-race calendar, the same length as recent seasons, including six dedicated sprint weekends — Shanghai, Miami, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort and Singapore — each adding an extra, shorter Saturday race alongside the usual Sunday Grand Prix.
How to actually watch it
Broadcasting changed significantly for 2026. Apple TV now holds the exclusive live F1 rights in the United States, streaming every practice, qualifying, sprint and race session for $12.99/month or $99/year, with select sessions available free with no subscription at all. F1 TV Premium — unlocking all 20 drivers' onboard cameras, live timing and the full race archive — comes bundled free with an Apple TV subscription. In the UK, Sky Sports F1 remains the main home of every session live, with Channel 4 broadcasting free highlights 2-3 hours after each race. Canada is served by TSN and RDS, and Australia by Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
What a race weekend actually looks like
A standard weekend runs three practice sessions and a knockout qualifying format (Q1, Q2, Q3, progressively eliminating the slowest cars) on Friday and Saturday, before Sunday's Grand Prix decides the points. A sprint weekend compresses this: practice is cut to one session, a separate sprint qualifying sets the Saturday sprint race grid, and the sprint result itself doesn't affect Sunday's starting grid at all — the main Grand Prix still runs its own full qualifying session.
Why 2026 is a genuinely different season to watch
2026 isn't just another season — it's F1's biggest technical regulation reset in years. Cars are smaller and lighter (a 768kg minimum weight, down from 800kg), power units now draw roughly half their power from electrical energy rather than the internal combustion engine, and the old Drag Reduction System (DRS) has been retired entirely, replaced by a new Active Aero system and a separate Overtake Mode. See our full explainer on what replaced DRS for exactly how that works. Because every team effectively started from a blank sheet of paper, the competitive order is genuinely less predictable than in a normal season where teams are refining an existing car.
What to actually watch for as a new fan
Track both championships at once — the Drivers' title and the Constructors' title are scored from the same results but can easily be won by different teams. See our full explainer on how F1 points actually work for exactly how race and sprint points combine, and why there's no fastest-lap bonus any more. Pit strategy is worth following closely too: Pirelli's tyre compound rules force every driver to use at least two different compounds in a dry race, turning tyre management into a genuine tactical battle rather than a background detail.
Where to go next
Once the format clicks, our complete guide to Formula 1 covers the full technical and sporting picture, and our tire compounds explainer is a good next read for understanding the strategy layer that decides so many races.
Frequently asked questions
How many races are in the 2026 F1 season?
24 races, including six sprint weekends: Shanghai, Miami, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort and Singapore.
Where can I watch F1 in 2026?
Apple TV holds exclusive US live rights ($12.99/month or $99/year, with F1 TV Premium bundled free). Sky Sports F1 covers the UK live, with free Channel 4 highlights. TSN/RDS serve Canada, and Fox Sports/Kayo Sports serve Australia.
Does F1 still use ESPN in the US?
No — Apple TV took over exclusive live US F1 broadcast rights for 2026, replacing the previous ESPN deal.
What's different about a sprint weekend compared to a normal race weekend?
Practice is cut to one session, a separate sprint qualifying sets the Saturday sprint grid, and the sprint result doesn't affect Sunday's Grand Prix grid — that still comes from its own full qualifying session.
Why is 2026 considered such a big season for F1?
It's the sport's biggest technical regulation reset in years: smaller, lighter cars, power units drawing roughly half their power from electrical energy, and DRS retired entirely in favor of a new Active Aero and Overtake Mode system.
Can a team win the Constructors' Championship without winning the Drivers' title?
Yes — the two championships are scored from the same results but are genuinely separate titles, and a team with two consistently strong drivers can win the constructors' crown even if a rival team's single driver wins individually.
Sources
Pippa has followed open-wheel racing for 12 years, from Formula 1's turbo-hybrid era to IndyCar's short ovals, and has watched competitive sim racing grow from a niche hobby into a genuine motorsport discipline in its own right. She covers circuit and open-wheel racing, touring cars and esports for CNMOTOS.
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