The new F1 calendar for the 2026 season has already been released by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and for IndyCar fans, we have bad news. With the F1 calendar changes, the two automotive competitions will end up having their dates overlap. This situation worries not only the public that follows both sports, but it can also harm some F1 teams. Check out all the information and understand the reason behind this major problem.
F1 vs. IndyCar: Calendar changes could lead to conflicts
Formula 1 surprised everyone with changes to its calendar for the 2026 season, and something important was taken into consideration for the sequence of competitions next year: the proximity of the locations. The FIA’s strategy is to place nearby countries in a sequence for holding the GPs, so that less time is spent — and less pollution is generated — on the routes from one place to another. It turns out that, with this criterion being adopted, there was a drastic change in the calendar that affected another automotive event, IndyCar.
This happened because the Monaco GP, which used to take place at the end of May, has now been postponed to the beginning of June. Until then, this change was good for the Indy 500, since the absence of F1 clashes in May would bring more attention to the IndyCar event. However, the big problem is that the Montreal GP will now take place in May.
This choice was made because the FIA found it more advantageous to hold this race close to the date of the Miami GP, for logistical reasons, as the two locations are strategically closer to each other, reducing costs and travel time. With the confirmation that the Canadian Grand Prix will now take place on the same day as the Indy 500, there is a possibility that time zone conflicts could directly impact the international media audience and visibility of the famous IndyCar event, leaving fans and the competition organizers very concerned.
How will this change impact IndyCar?
The Indy 500 is one of the most famous, oldest, and most prestigious Motorsport racing events, not only in the United States but in the world, and is considered the pinnacle of the IndyCar championship. This race is held annually and is 500 miles (805km) long, and is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
With this change to the F1 calendar, the vast majority of viewers will simply choose their favorite event, which may create some conflicts between the two sporting events, such as television ratings, attendance, and, most complex: media visibility, which is one of the most important things for the automotive industry.
The visibility of a competition is what attracts sponsors to the event. So, with less visibility, the consequence is that it may not be as financially advantageous for the former sponsors of the IndyCar competition to still participate and sponsor the Indy 500. The F1 teams, also interested in the Indy 500, may end up giving up the sponsorship because of the scheduling conflict.
Does the future of the Indy 500 depend on F1?
The changes to the F1 calendar, although positive for the sport, create a conflict for those who follow both sporting events.
The conflict in the schedules and time zones of the Canadian GP and the Indy 500 in 2026 represents a logistical problem that may or may not create a problem for the North American event, when it comes to visibility. It remains to be seen whether F1 and Indy will adapt their strategies to soften the impact shortly. For now, get your controller ready: the decision will be exciting, but costly.
