2026 Canadian GP: Schedule Adjusted to Avoid Clash with Indy 500

2026 Canadian Grand Prix: Adjusted Schedule to Avoid Clash with the Indianapolis 500

The Canadian Grand Prix has modified its start time for the 2026 season, seeking to avoid an overlap with the Indianapolis 500, a highly relevant event in the world of motorsport. The Canadian race will start at 4 p.m. local time, which is equivalent to 9 p.m. (BST). This time change is an effort to minimize the overlap with the Indianapolis 500, which is held on the same day. The Canadian Grand Prix has been moved to May 24th of next season. This decision facilitates the logistics of transporting equipment and materials, as the freight used in the Miami Grand Prix can remain in North America, thus avoiding the transfer to Europe and back. Initially, the proposal to move the race to Memorial Day weekend generated criticism due to the possible overlap with the Indianapolis 500, which is held in the same time zone.

In order to reduce this overlap, Formula 1 has delayed the start of the Canadian Grand Prix by two hours compared to the start time this year, which was at 2 p.m. This will create a window of 3 hours and 15 minutes after the traditional start of the Indianapolis 500, scheduled for 12:45 p.m.

The last five editions of the Indianapolis 500 have been completed in less than three hours, although there is a possibility that the race will be extended or delayed due to weather conditions. Formula 1 confirmed that the Canadian Grand Prix will only coincide with the Indianapolis 500 once every five years, meaning there will be no overlap between 2027 and 2030.