2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix Returns to Montreal With Sprint Weekend Scheduled for May 22–24

The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix is officially heading back to Montreal, with racing set to take place at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. For Formula 1 fans, one major highlight is already confirmed: the event will once again use the sprint weekend format. All times listed below are local Montreal times, with U.K. times included in parentheses.

Track activity begins Friday, May 22, with drivers getting just a single practice session before competitive action starts. Free Practice 1 is scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. local time (5:30–6:30 p.m. in the U.K.). Later that afternoon, sprint qualifying takes over from 4:30 p.m. to 5:14 p.m. (9:30–10:14 p.m. U.K. time).

Saturday, May 23, will be the busiest day of the weekend. The sprint race itself starts at noon local time (5 p.m. in the U.K.) and will run either 23 laps or up to a 60-minute time limit. Main qualifying follows later in the day from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (9–10 p.m. U.K. time), setting the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

The main event takes place Sunday, May 24, with the Canadian Grand Prix scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. local time (9 p.m. in the U.K.). The race distance is set at 70 laps or a maximum of two hours.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve measures 2.71 miles per lap, and its combination of long straights and heavy braking zones has made it one of Formula 1’s most exciting venues for decades. The narrow chicanes and unforgiving walls leave little room for mistakes, especially near the infamous “Wall of Champions.”

The barrier earned its nickname after the dramatic 1999 race, when three different Formula 1 world champions crashed there exiting the final chicane. Over time, the wall developed an almost legendary reputation throughout the paddock. Even Jenson Button hit the barrier years before eventually claiming his championship title.