The Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix will be moved to “the third or fourth weekend of May” from 2026, the event’s promoter, the Octane Racing Group, announced on Monday.
According to the promoter, this change will consolidate the European part of the racing season into a single consecutive period during the European summer months and remove an additional transatlantic crossing each year for F1 teams and stables, therefore resulting in a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
“This change to the calendar represents a major step in our commitment, and that of Formula 1, towards a more sustainable future. It demonstrates our desire to reconcile sporting performance and organization of events with environmental responsibility,” explained the president and CEO of the Octane Racing Group, Jean-Philippe Paradis, in a press release.
The partners of the Octane Racing Group, including Tourisme Montréal, welcomed this announcement.
“This change was obvious to us,” said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal. This decision perfectly matches our vision of responsible tourism for the planet. »
According to Tourisme Montréal, its early start to the season will boost the influx of visitors, which will have a positive impact on the revenues of hotels and restaurants which will benefit from the leverage effect of this major event. In addition, the fact that this change will only take effect from 2026 will offer those in the tourism sector valuable preparation time.
This announcement also comes as a continuation of changes already made to the calendar by F1 over the past few years to create a more efficient calendar.
“This change will make our future schedule not only more sustainable, but also makes more logistical sense for our teams and staff. Our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 remains a priority for us as a sport, and through changes like this, we are well on our way to achieving this goal,” said the President and CEO of F1, Stefano Domenicali.
The Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix has been presented since 1967, first in Ontario, at Mosport Park, then twice at Mont-Tremblant.
It has been taking place since 1978 on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, on Île Notre-Dame, in Montreal. That year, Quebecer Gilles Villeneuve triumphed on October 8 in front of his supporters.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is the reigning champion of the Canadian Grand Prix, which was presented on June 9, 2024.
The Canadian Grand Prix will take place from June 13 to 15 in 2025.
A first women’s race in Montreal
In addition, the F1 Academy, a motor racing championship organized by the Formula One Group dedicated to female drivers using Formula 4 single-seaters, will make a stop for the first time at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in Montreal, from June 13 to 15, 2025 .
“The next season will include 14 races spread over seven stops – all in support of the Formula 1 World Championship. We will also welcome three new stops on the calendar [dont une à Montréal] », We could read in a message from the F1 Academy published on the social network X Monday morning.
“I want to thank our promoters for their enthusiasm and support, and for supporting us in our journey to create opportunities for women to thrive at all levels of our sport,” said Susie Wolff, Executive Director of the F1 Academy by way of a press release.
The F1 Academy began operations in 2023 and has 15 participants — none of them Canadian.
The reigning world champion is Marta Garcia Lopez. There are two stages left to negotiate in the 2024 season, in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and the championship is currently led by Briton Abbi Pulling (Rodin Motorsport).
Other changes announced to the calendar
The Canadian event will not be the only one to be moved from 2026.
The Japanese Grand Prix has been moved to the spring to align with races in the Asia-Pacific region, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been moved to the fall as the championship turns east to Singapore, and the Qatar Grand Prix was moved to align with Abu Dhabi at the end of the season in December.
Recent indications suggested that the Canadian Grand Prix would be expected to change dates from 2026.
Last week, F1 announced that the agreement to hold the Monaco Grand Prix had been extended by six years, until 2031.
According to this new agreement, which will come into force from 2026, the Monaco Grand Prix will take place during the first full weekend of June.
Next year’s race will take place on May 25 and mark the 75e anniversary of its first official edition. Races have been presented in Monaco since 1929.
Ferrari team driver Charles Leclerc triumphed this year, becoming the first Monegasque to win this event.
