Canadian Grand Prix to Move to Late May in 2026 for Sustainability

Canadian Grand Prix will take place in late May starting in 2026, shifting from early June as part of Formula 1’s sustainability efforts to reduce carbon emissions. This change will allow the Montreal race to occur immediately after the Miami Grand Prix minimizing the need for freight to be sent back and forth across the Atlantic. Montreal will now host its race on the third or fourth weekend of May each year, Formula 1 announced.

Since the Miami Grand Prix debuted in 2022, the scheduling between it and Canada has caused logistical challenges particularly with the number of European races in between. F1 sees this scheduling anomaly as an obstacle to its commitment to become net-zero by 2030. F1 president Stefano Domenicali praised the change emphasizing that it would make the calendar more sustainable and logistically practical for teams and personnel.

He reaffirmed F1’s focus on sustainability and net-zero goals. The move also addresses long-standing concerns over Montreal’s organizational challenges including traffic management and outdated facilities. Historically, Canadian organizers resisted changing the date due to the time required to prepare the track after Quebec’s long winter and the event’s ties to the city’s summer celebrations.

However, with a new promoter in place, Montreal has supported the adjustment. Jean-Philippe Paradis, CEO of the Octane Racing Group, said this shift aligns with both their and F1’s commitment to a more sustainable future. This date change is part of F1’s broader efforts to optimize the race calendar for sustainability such as shifting the Japanese Grand Prix to April and moving events like Azerbaijan and Qatar to reduce travel emissions.

As a result, the Monaco Grand Prix will now move to early June starting in 2026.