2026 Formula One World Series (Grand Prix International)

The 2026 GPI Formula One World Series was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars, which was the 77th running of the Formula One World Series. It was recognised by Grand Prix International as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars.
The 2026 Formula One World Series was the first held under GPI following disputes between the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Formula One Team Organization (FOTA) over rule changes for the 2026 Formula One World Championship that was interpreted by the FOTA to be a power grab by the FIA and Liberty Media to turn F1 into a spec series, allegedly in response to Red Bull's dominance in 2023, as well as Formula One Management (FOM) rejecting Andretti Cadillac's bid to join the series in an attempt to keep American teams (and American fans, which FOM stereotyped as drunken NASCAR fans) out of the sport. The season also came following the collapse of INDYCAR LLC in the wake of Roger Penske's death and the resulting power struggle between the Penske Corporation, the Hulman family, and the United States Auto Club (USAC).
Drivers and teams competed for the titles of World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion, respectively. Unlike the previous four seasons, which were dominated by Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, the 2026 season was the most competitive Formula One season to date. The championship came down to the final race at Interlagos, with five drivers mathematically eligible to win the World Drivers' Championship: Enzo Fittipaldi, Max Verstappen, Tim Johnson, Suki Honda, and Jamie Chadwick. Fittipaldi ultimately won the race, securing the World Drivers' Championship 52 years after his father, Emerson, won his second and final Formula One championship. In its first season as a constructor, Pacific Coast Racing won the World Constructors' Championship, four points ahead of McLaren, and their drivers finished second (Johnson) and third (Honda); Suki Honda made history as the first woman to win a Formula One race, and with her third-place Drivers' Championship finish, was the most successful; her teammate and boyfriend Tim Johnson, meanwhile, won the Indianapolis 500 in a five-wide photo finish between himself, Honda, Josef Newgarden, Álex Palou, and Wendy Burleson. This was also the first Formula One season since 2008 where the World Drivers' Champion did not drive for the World Constructors' Champion (in 2008, Lewis Hamilton, who drove for McLaren, won the Drivers' Championship, but Ferrari won the World Constructors' Championship).
== Entries ==
For the first time since 1981, privateer teams were allowed to enter.
=== World Championship Teams ===
The following teams declared for both the World Drivers' and World Constructors' Championships, which obligated them to run all 26 races of the season, and guaranteed them a spot in each race (except the Indianapolis 500).
Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Primary sponsor	Race drivers	Race drivers
Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Primary sponsor	No. 	Driver name
Andretti Cadillac 	Andretti-Cadillac 	Andretti MA1 	Cadillac V8 	DHL 	20 	Pierre Gasly
Andretti Cadillac 	Andretti-Cadillac 	Andretti MA1 	Cadillac V8 	DHL 	27 	Logan Sargeant
Aston Martin 	Aston Martin 	Aston Martin AMR26	Aston Martin V6t 	Cognizant 	14 	Yuki Tsunoda
Aston Martin 	Aston Martin 	Aston Martin AMR26	Aston Martin V6t 	Cognizant 	18 	Lance Stroll
Audi Sport F1 Team Stake 	Kick Sauber-Audi 	Audi A46 	Audi V10 	Stake 	24 	Carlos Sainz
Audi Sport F1 Team Stake 	Kick Sauber-Audi 	Audi A46 	Audi V10 	Stake 	77 	Théo Pourchaire
Benetton Formula 	Benetton-Ford 	Benetton B126 	Ford-Cosworth V8t	Riello Global 	10 	Jack Doohan
Benetton Formula 	Benetton-Ford 	Benetton B126 	Ford-Cosworth V8t	Riello Global 	31 	Mick Schumacher
Target Chip Ganassi Racing 	Ganassi-Honda 	Ganassi CG26 	Honda V10 	Target 	8 	Linus Lundqvist
Target Chip Ganassi Racing 	Ganassi-Honda 	Ganassi CG26 	Honda V10 	Target 	9 	Álex Palou
Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari 	Ferrari SF26 	Ferrari V10 	Shell 	16 	Lewis Hamilton
Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari 	Ferrari SF26 	Ferrari V10 	Shell 	55 	Charles Leclerc
Équipe Ligier 	Ligier-Honda 	Ligier JS48 	Honda V10 	Parmalat 	49 	Ayumu Iwasa
Équipe Ligier 	Ligier-Honda 	Ligier JS48 	Honda V10 	Parmalat 	78 	Wendy Burleson
March Racing Organization 	March-Aston Martin 	March 921 	Aston Martin V6t 	McDonalds 	65 	Jamie Chadwick
March Racing Organization 	March-Aston Martin 	March 921 	Aston Martin V6t 	McDonalds 	91 	Oliver Bearman
McLaren F1 Team 	McLaren-Lamborghini	McLaren MCL41 	Lamborghini V10 	Google Chrome 	4 	Lando Norris
McLaren F1 Team 	McLaren-Lamborghini	McLaren MCL41 	Lamborghini V10 	Google Chrome 	81 	Enzo Fittipaldi
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team 	Mercedes 	Mercedes F1 W17 	Mercedes V10 	Petronas 	44 	George Norris
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team 	Mercedes 	Mercedes F1 W17 	Mercedes V10 	Petronas 	63 	Lyra Lambert
Minardi Team SpA 	Minardi-Ford 	Minardi PS26 	Ford-Cosworth V8t	British Airways	43 	Roy Nissany
Minardi Team SpA 	Minardi-Ford 	Minardi PS26 	Ford-Cosworth V8t	British Airways	50 	Brayden Bolton
Pacific Coast Racing 	Pacific Coast-Mopar	Pacific Coast TS1 	Mopar V8 	Sprite 	60 	Suki Honda
Pacific Coast Racing 	Pacific Coast-Mopar	Pacific Coast TS1 	Mopar V8 	Sprite 	80 	Tim Johnson
Hugo Boss Rodin Motorsports 	Rodin-Lamborghini 	Rodin R1 	Lamborghini V10 	Hugo Boss 	15 	Liam Lawson
Hugo Boss Rodin Motorsports 	Rodin-Lamborghini 	Rodin R1 	Lamborghini V10 	Hugo Boss 	22 	Dennis Hauger
Oracle Red Bull Racing 	Red Bull-Ford 	Red Bull RB22 	Ford-Cosworth V8t	Oracle 	1 	Max Verstappen
Oracle Red Bull Racing 	Red Bull-Ford 	Red Bull RB22 	Ford-Cosworth V8t	Oracle 	11 	Sergio Perez
Shadow Racing Cars 	Shadow-Ferrari 	Shadow DN13 	Ferrari V10 	ChatGPT 	38 	Richard Verschoor
Shadow Racing Cars 	Shadow-Ferrari 	Shadow DN13 	Ferrari V10 	ChatGPT 	97 	Julius Hayden
Team Penske 	Penske-Chevrolet 	Penske PC-28 	Ilmor V8t 	Mobil 1 	3 	Josef Newgarden
Team Penske 	Penske-Chevrolet 	Penske PC-28 	Ilmor V8t 	Mobil 1 	12 	Scott McLaughlin
Williams Grand Prix Engineering	Williams-Porsche 	Williams FW48 	Porsche V10 	Canon 	2 	Alexander Albon
Williams Grand Prix Engineering	Williams-Porsche 	Williams FW48 	Porsche V10 	Canon 	23 	Frederik Vesti
=== Open Teams ===
The following teams did not declare for the 2026 World Constructor's Championship. These included one-off entries for specific races (mainly the Indianapolis 500, which has a long history of attracting such entries), and local entries. Many teams, however, did attempt the full schedule, mainly teams that also had teams in Formula Two and/or various major sports car series such as the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship or the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Primary sponsor 	Race drivers	Race drivers 	Round(s)
Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Primary sponsor 	No. 	Driver name 	Round(s)
23XI Racing 	Dallara-Toyota 	Dallara 226 	Toyota V6t 	McDonald's 	97 	Bubba Wallace 	6
A. J. Foyt Racing 	Dallara-Offy 	Dallara 226 	Offenhauser V8 	ABC Supply 	41 	Sting Ray Robb 	6, 19
All-Star Motorsports 	Dallara-Chevrolet 	Dallara 226 	Ilmor V8t 	Pennzoil 	42 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	6
Archer Motorsports 	Dallara-Honda 	Dallara 226 	Honda V10 	Havanna 	30 	Andreo Aguilar 	1
ART Racing 	Lola-Lamborghini 	Lola B26/30 	Lamborghini V10 	BWT 	74 	Mustafa Rush 	All
ART Racing 	Lola-Lamborghini 	Lola B26/30 	Lamborghini V10 	BWT 	89 	Ashwin Summers 	All
ATS Wheels 	ATS-Mopar 	ATS D8 	Mopar V8 	ATS Wheels 	79 	Nico Romani 	All
B-MAX Racing Team 	Dallara-Toyota 	Dallara 226 	Toyota V6t 	B-MAX Racing Team	50 	Iori Kimura 	4
Brembo Racing Promotions 	Lola-Lamborghini 	Lola B26/30 	Lamborghini V10 	Brembo 	53 	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	All
Bryan Herta Autosport 	Dallara-Honda 	Dallara 226 	Honda V10 	US Concrete 	98 	Alexander Rossi 	6, 19
Callaway Cars 	Callaway-Cadillac 	Callaway C26 	Cadillac V8 	Valvoline 	66 	Steve Armstrong 	All
Campos Racing 	March-Ferrari 	March 921 	Ferrari V10 	Boya 	46 	Isack Hadjar 	All
Campos Racing 	March-Ferrari 	March 921 	Ferrari V10 	Boya 	87 	Pepe Marti 	All
Dale Coyne Racing 	Dallara-Chevrolet 	Dallara 226 	Ilmor V8t 	Guaranteed Rate 	81 	David Malukas 	6
DAMS 	Ligier-Honda 	Ligier JS48 	Honda V10 	Lucas Oil 	03 	Jak Crawford 	All
Double A Pro Racing 	Dallara-Honda 	Dallara 226 	Honda V10 	Fanatec 	33 	Jay Bauer 	All
Early Bird Autosport 	Lola-Honda 	Lola B26/30 	Honda V10 	unsponsored 	26 	Brayden Bolton 	2
Early Bird Autosport 	Lola-Honda 	Lola B26/30 	Honda V10 	unsponsored 	26 	Reggie Boyle 	6-7
Early Bird Autosport 	Lola-Honda 	Lola B26/30 	Honda V10 	unsponsored 	26 	Saul Norton 	8-18
Edge Motorsports 	Dallara-Ferrari 	Dallara 226 	Ferrari V10 	Alitalia 	13 	Rinaldo Bonucci 	8, 18
Glickenhaus Racing 	Glickenhaus-Ford 	Glickenhaus GC26 	Ford-Cosworth V8t 	Motul 	90 	Leonardo Skinner 	All
Ginetta Cars 	Ginetta-Ford 	Ginetta G60 	Ford-Cosworth V8t 	Tamiya 	72 	Natalie Day 	All
Gr8 M8 Racing 	March-Mopar 	March 921 	Mopar V8 	BHP 	45 	Abbey Knox 	2
Hendrick Motorsports 	Dallara-Chevrolet 	Dallara 226 	Cadillac V8 	hendrickcars.com 	5 	Kyle Larson 	6, 24-25
Inter Europol Competition 	Lola-Lamborghini 	Lola B26/30 	Lamborghini V10 	Oats 	34 	Albert Costa 	All
Inter Europol Competition 	Lola-Lamborghini 	Lola B26/30 	Lamborghini V10 	Oats 	35 	Jakub Śmiechowski 	All
Invicta Racing 	Dallara-Honda 	Dallara 226 	Honda V10 	Invicta 	94 	Kush Maini 	8-18
Invicta Racing 	Dallara-Honda 	Dallara 226 	Honda V10 	Invicta 	99 	Franco Colapinto 	8-18
Isotta Fraschini 	Isotta Fraschini 	Isotta Fraschini T26	Isotti Fraschini V6t	Milano 	47 	Mike Conway 	All
Isotta Fraschini 	Isotta Fraschini 	Isotta Fraschini T26	Isotti Fraschini V6t	Milano 	48 	Alex Lynn 	All
Scuderia Italia 	Dallara-Ferrari 	Dallara 226 	Ferrari V10 	Lucchini 	13 	Leonardo Skinner 	8, 18
Jonathan Byrd's Racing 	Dallara-Audi 	Dallara 226 	Audi V10 	Havoline 	88 	Orlando Stokes 	1-6, 12-22
Jonathan Byrd's Racing 	Dallara-Audi 	Dallara 226 	Audi V10 	Havoline 	93 	Jason Brightman 	1-6, 12-22
Kondo Racing 	March-Toyota 	March 921 	Toyota V6t 	Realize Group 	53 	Kenta Yamashita 	4
Lone Star Racing 	Dallara-Ford 	Dallara 226 	Ford-Cosworth V8t 	Monster Energy 	13 	Hailie Deegan 	21
MAZDASPEED 	March-Mazda 	March 921 	Mazda V6t 	Nintendo 	39 	Chester Clark 	4, 6-7, 19
Meyer Shank Racing 	Lola-Chevrolet 	Lola B26/30 	Ilmor V8t 	AutoNation 	06 	Hélio Castroneves 	6
MP Motorsports 	Dallara-Mopar 	Dallara 226 	Mopar V8 	RG 	61 	Matthew Brabham 	2, 6
Mussel Motorsports 	Ferrari 	Ferrari SF26 	Ferrari V10 	ExxonMobile 	56 	Mario Amato 	1-23
Nice Autosport 	Ligier-Honda 	Ligier JS48 	Honda V10 	BNP Paribas 	21 	Pierre Barbier 	15
Organisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles	Oreca-Chevrolet 	Oreca F26 	Ilmor V8t 	Dior 	08 	Otto York 	6-7, 15
Polestar Racing 	Polestar-Porsche 	Polestar Mark 1 	Porsche V10 	Amazon 	41 	Damon Shelton 	All
Prema Racing 	Oreca-Ferrari 	Oreca F26 	Ferrari V10 	Aventum 	64 	Filip Ugran 	All
Prema Racing 	Oreca-Ferrari 	Oreca F26 	Ferrari V10 	Aventum 	67 	Doriane Pin 	All
Proton Competition 	Williams-Ford 	Williams FW48 	Ford-Cosworth V8t 	1st Phorm 	40 	Ryan Briscoe 	2, 6-7, 11, 18-19, 24
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing 	Lola-Offy 	Lola B26/30 	Offenhauser V8 	Hy-Vee 	05 	Graham Rahal 	6
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing 	Lola-Offy 	Lola B26/30 	Offenhauser V8 	Hy-Vee 	45 	Christian Lundgaard 	6
Rising Dragon Motorsports 	Dallara-Honda 	Penske PC-28 	Honda V10 	Hainan Airlines 	51 	Zhou Guanyu 	All
Rising Dragon Motorsports 	Dallara-Honda 	Penske PC-28 	Honda V10 	Hainan Airlines 	70 	Kerong Li 	5
Scuderia SpeedZone 	Pacific Coast-Mopar	Pacific Coast TS1 	Mopar V8 	Mopar 	92 	Lilli Mayer 	All
Scuderia SpeedZone 	Pacific Coast-Mopar	Pacific Coast TS1 	Mopar V8 	Mopar 	93 	Colin Bass 	All
Torgon 	Dallara-Lamborghini	Dallara 226 	Lamborghini V10 	Nvidia 	32 	Chris Fulton 	All
Trackhouse Racing 	Dallara-Chevrolet 	Dallara 226 	Ilmor V8t 	Freeway Insurance	99 	Daniel Suárez 	24-25
Vanwall Racing Team 	Shadow-Ferrari 	Shadow DN13 	Ferrari V10 	Floyd 	36 	Tom Dillmann 	All
Vanwall Racing Team 	Shadow-Ferrari 	Shadow DN13 	Ferrari V10 	Floyd 	71 	Tristan Vautier 	All
World Star Racing 	Dallara-Chevrolet 	Dallara 226 	Ilmor V8t 	SiriusXM 	88 	Simon Pagenaud 	6
=== Team changes ===
2026 saw the biggest changes to the Formula One grid in series history. With GPI making the sport much more affordable to race in, the floodgates were open for more teams to enter.
Of the teams that competed in the 2025 Formula One World Championship, only the Haas F1 Team did not return, instead shutting down at the end of the 2025 season due to poor results. Several teams also changed names, with Alpine reverting to the Bennetton name, and RB reverting to the Minardi name. Penske, Ligier, and Shadow all made their return to Formula One for the first time since 1977, 1996, and 1980, respectively, and Chip Ganassi Racing also made the jump from the defunct IndyCar Series. Rodin Motorsports moved up from the Formula Two Championship, and, as planned, Audi took over the Sauber team, and Andretti Cadillac made its entry, taking over what was once the Alpine team.
Finally, a completely new team declared for the World championships, this being Pacific Coast Racing, which quickly developed a reputation as an eccentric team with a dry sense of humor, a pair of drivers who became the "F1 Power Couple", and becoming the undisputed "Oval Aces", as both Tim Johnson and Suki Honda finished on the podium for every oval race in 2026; the pair also had various quirks that quickly endeared them to the F1 fanbase, such as emerging during driver introductions carrying or wearing something (such as beach balls at the Pacific Grand Prix that they threw into the crowd, masks with the face of ESPN/ABC play-by-play broadcaster Allen Bestwick at the Detroit Grand Prix, specifically to get a reaction out of Bestwick, and fake mustaches at the Italian Grand Prix; they had considered coming out at the Las Vegas Grand Prix with fake Tommy guns loaded with Silly String, before deciding to instead wear baseball hats memorializing Dan Wheldon, who had been killed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the 2011 IndyCar season finale), and their own styles of victory celebrations (Tim would do Alan Kulwicki's Polish victory lap with the checkered flag and then give the flag to a young fan, while Suki would emerge from her car and give a traditional Japanese bow to the fans).
The 2026 season also saw the series opened back up to privateers for the first time since the First Concorde Agreement was signed in 1981. Many of these teams did not declare for the World championships, but did attempt the full schedule. Other teams were either one-off local entries, teams that attempted to run the full schedule but couldn't due to running out of funds or other factors, or were one-off entries for the Indianapolis 500.
=== Driver changes ===
2026 saw multiple female drivers enter Formula One, all running the full schedule. Four women declared for the World Drivers' Championship: American Wendy Burleson of Ligier, Englishwomen Lyra Lambert of Mercedes and former W Series champion Jamie Chadwick of March, and Japanese-American Suki Honda (competing under the Japanese flag) of Pacific Coast Racing. Of the four, Honda and Chadwick were the most successful, becoming the first women to win in Formula One, with Honda scoring three wins and Chadwick scoring two (one of her wins came in a photo finish with Honda at Monza).
== Calendar ==
The 2026 calendar comprised a record twenty-six Grands Prix.
Round	Grand Prix 	Circuit 	Circuit type	Date
1 	Argentine Grand Prix 	Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez, Buenos Aires	Road course 	February 22
2 	Australian Grand Prix 	Calder Park Thunderdome, Melbourne 	Oval 	March 1
3 	Swedish Grand Prix 	Anderstorp Raceway, Anderstorp 	Road course 	March 22
4 	Japanese Grand Prix 	Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka 	Road course 	April 5
5 	Chinese Grand Prix 	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai 	Road course 	April 19
6 	International Grand Prix
(Indianapolis 500)	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway 	Oval 	May 24
7 	Miami Grand Prix 	Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead 	Oval 	May 31
8 	Emilia Romagna Grand Prix	Imola Circuit, Imola 	Road course 	June 14
9 	Spanish Grand Prix 	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Montmeló 	Road course 	June 21
10 	Austrian Grand Prix 	Red Bull Ring, Spielberg 	Road course 	June 28
11 	German Grand Prix 	Lausitzring, Klettwitz 	Oval 	July 5
12 	British Grand Prix 	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 	Road course 	July 12
13 	Hungarian Grand Prix 	Hungaroring, Mogyoród 	Road course 	July 19
14 	Belgian Grand Prix 	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 	Road course 	July 26
15 	French Grand Prix 	Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet 	Road course 	August 2
16 	Dutch Grand Prix 	Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort 	Road course 	August 23
17 	Portugese Grand Prix 	Algarve International Circuit, Portimão 	Road course 	August 30
18 	Italian Grand Prix 	Monza Circuit, Monza 	Oval 	September 6
19 	Detroit Grand Prix 	Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn 	Oval 	September 13
20 	Pacific Grand Prix 	Portland International Raceway, Portland 	Road course 	September 20
21 	United States Grand Prix 	Circuit of the Americas, Austin 	Road course 	October 18
22 	Mexico City Grand Prix 	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City 	Road course 	October 25
23 	Canadian Grand Prix 	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal 	Road course 	November 8
24 	Las Vegas Grand Prix 	Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas 	Oval 	November 21
25 	California Grand Prix 	WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey 	Road course 	December 6
26 	São Paulo Grand Prix 	Interlagos Circuit, São Paulo 	Road course 	December 13
=== Calendar changes ===
The 2026 calendar saw the biggest changes in Formula One history. The Indianapolis 500 returned to the calendar for the first time since 1960, now run as a Formula One race instead of an IndyCar race that also paid points toward the World Driver's Championship. As a result, the Monaco Grand Prix was completely removed, with Grand Prix International stating that "Formula One has long outgrown the cramped streets of Monaco". Officially, the race was renamed the International Grand Prix, hearkening back to its original name of Interntional 500-Mile Sweepstakes, though it was still marketed as the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. The Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix were also completely removed, as GPI had no interest in "aiding and abetting sportswashing". The Singapore Grand Prix was removed due to ongoing issues with the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
To replace the removed races, the Argentine, Swedish, French, German, Portugese, and Pacific Grands Prix returned to the calendar, with the Pacific Grand Prix held at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon (PIR got the race after an intense bidding war with Sonoma Raceway and Twin Rings Motegi). Two completely new races, the Detroit and California Grands Prix, were also added, bringing the number of races in the United States to a record seven.
One of the major highlights of the 2026 calendar was the introduction of ovals to the schedule. GPI humorously marketed the 2026 season as "2026 Formula One World Series or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Oval" (a reference to the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove). Several existing races were moved to ovals, including the Australian Grand Prix moving from Albert Park Circuit to Calder Park Thunderdome, the Miami Grand Prix moving from Miami International Autodrome to Homestead-Miami Speedway, the German Grand Prix moving from its traditional home at Hockenheimring to Lausitzring, the Italian Grand Prix moving to Monza's long-disused oval, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix moving from the Las Vegas Strip Circuit to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The new Detroit Grand Prix was held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, and was positioned as a race for GPI to court the Detroit automakers; the race's announcement alone was enough to convince Ford (with its longtime partner, Cosworth) and Dodge (through its Mopar brand) to enter the sport.
== Regulation changes ==
=== Technical regulations ===
One of the main factors in the Formula One declaring independence from the FIA was the dissuasion of technical innovations, and the perception that the FIA and Liberty Media sought to turn the sport into a spec series. Under GPI, new Formula One technical regulations were introduced. One of the main changes was to the size of the car; the FIA had, in 2023, committed to a smaller car for the 2026 season, but GPI thought that the FIA-spec cars were still too big. The GPI regulations were revealed on September 17, 2025. The new regulations mandate much smaller cars with simplified aerodynamics. Analysts noted that the example car displayed by GPI heavily resembled a typical 1991 Formula One car with modern safety enhancements such as IndyCar's Aeroscreen. To this end, teams that had run the 1991 season merely took the chassis designs they had run that year and applied the modern safety features (for example, the Ferrari SF26 is, for all intents and purposes, the Ferrari 643 run during the latter half of the 1991 season with modern safety features), and newer teams created their own designs (Pacific Coast Racing modified the Jordan 191). Teams that did not declare for the World Constructors' Championship were not required to build their own chassis, and Dallara and Lola built and sold chassis for these teams (several teams, mainly sports car teams such as Callaway, Ginetta, Glickenhaus, and Oreca, as well as Polestar Cars and past F1 constructor ATS Wheels, did build their own cars; several teams also purchased chassis from World Constructors' Championship teams).
The series' engine formula was completely opened up. Teams could now use any type of engine, either naturally-aspirated or turbocharged (making 2026 the first season in which naturally-aspirated engines were used since 2013), and with or without hybridization; hybrid engines use a battery in first gear, with the internal combustion engine firing up on the second gear. V6, V8, and V10 engines were the most popular (turbochargers are banned in V10 and V12 engines); V12 engines were tested by Ferrari and Lamborghini before the season, but went unused due to their unreliability. Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes, and Honda remained in the series, and Audi and Cadillac entered the series, as planned, but many more manufacturers than expected entered the sport. Ford-Cosworth, Ilmor, Toyota, Porsche, and Lamborghini all returned to Formula One, Aston Martin moved away from using Mercedese engines to developing its own twin-turbocharged V6, and Dodge (through its performance parts brand, Mopar) made its first-ever Formula One appearance with a cross-plane V8. Mazda also entered its own factory team on a part-time basis with their own turbocharged V6 engine, and Isotta Fraschini also built its own turbocharged V6. One rather unexpected entry was Offenhauser, which had last been seen in a major open-wheel racing series in 1982. Offy marketed a V8 engine specifically designed for use at Indianapolis, which A. J. Foyt Enterprises and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing both used (Offenhauser could not guarantee it would hold up at any other track; A. J. Foyt Enterprises ran an Offy-powered car at Michigan that not only made it to the end of the race, but set the fastest lap time that day, leading to many Open Teams clamoring for Offy engines for 2027).
Most engines are 2.6-4.6 L, with the Cadillac and Mopar engines being 5.5 L, giving their cars an instantly-recognizable, aggressive-sounding NASCAR-esque growl compared to the high-pitched scream of other cars on the grid (Cadillac's engine was the exact same one being used in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, while Mopar's engine was derived from its aftermarket crate motors, technically making the Mopar engines "stock-block" engines).
The Energy Recovery System (ERS) was retained, but the Drag Reduction System (DRS) was completely eliminated due to the new aero regulations.
Regulations are different on ovals. ERS is banned, aero regulations call for even more-simplified aerodynamics (oval-spec cars have little, if any downforce), and all engine manufacturers must build engines that can endure being run at full-throttle for the entirety of the race; this was achieved by modifying the engines with eliminating the seventh and eighth gears, lengthening the remaining six gears, and reducing the amount of RPMs, allowing the engines to favor longevity over pure power, and making most of the cars sound different on ovals than they do on road courses.
=== Tyres ===
Tyres were a major concern going into the 2026 season, as Pirelli had declared its loyalty to the FIA. Rumors that the 2026 season would have to be postponed due to a lack of a tyre supplier circulated until Bridgestone announced it would become the official tyre supplier of Formula One, winning a bidding war with Goodyear, Michelin, and Continental. In the same announcement, it was revealed that there would only be two tyre compounds: Dry and Wet. For the Indianapolis 500, the Firestone brand is used.
=== Sporting regulations ===
The sprint format, introduced in 2021, was abandoned by GPI due to raising costs through fuel consumption, tyre wear, and potential damage. The grid was expanded from a maximum of 26 to 40 at most races, and 43 for the Indianapolis 500 (as a result, double pitting became much more common at tracks with insufficient pit boxes) Oval races were conducted differently from road course races:
* Oval races use a two-abreast rolling start (three-abreast at the Indianapolis 500 and Detroit Grand Prix) as opposed to a standing start
* The safety car is deployed regardless of how large an incident is, due to the typical size of ovals, the speeds at play, and the lack of track sectors; this also means virtual safety cars are not used on ovals
* Mid-race refueling is allowed on ovals due to the races being longer (with the Indianapolis 500 being the longest)
* Due to how dangerous it would be to race in the rain on banked circuits, inclement weather will result in a red flag, regardless of how much rain is falling; if a weather-related reg flag runs long enough at an oval, the race will either be postponed to the next day, or, if the race has gone past halfway, it will be considered official, and the driver leading at the time of the red flag will be declared the winner
* Restrictor plates are required at Monza
== Results ==
Round	Grand Prix 	Pole position 	Fastest lap 	Winning driver 	Winning team
1 	Argentine Grand Prix 	Charles Leclerc	Enzo Fittipaldi	Enzo Fittipaldi	McLaren F1 Team
2 	Australian Grand Prix 	Josef Newgarden	Tim Johnson 	Tim Johnson 	Pacific Coast Racing
3 	Swedish Grand Prix 	George Norris 	Wendy Burleson 	Max Verstappen 	Oracle Red Bull Racing
4 	Japanese Grand Prix 	Enzo Fittipaldi	Enzo Fittipaldi	Enzo Fittipaldi	McLaren F1 Team
5 	Chinese Grand Prix 	Carlos Sainz 	Álex Palou 	Charles Leclerc	Scuderia Ferrari
6 	International Grand Prix 	Josef Newgarden	Suki Honda 	Tim Johnson 	Pacific Coast Racing
7 	Miami Grand Prix 	Suki Honda 	Mick Schumacher	Suki Honda 	Pacific Coast Racing
8 	Emilia Romagna Grand Prix	Yuki Tsunoda 	Tim Johnson 	George Norris 	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
9 	Spanish Grand Prix 	Sergio Perez 	Alexander Albon	Suki Honda 	Pacific Coast Racing
10 	Austrian Grand Prix 	Josef Newgarden	Jamie Chadwick 	Max Verstappen 	Oracle Red Bull Racing
11 	German Grand Prix 	Álex Palou 	Tim Johnson 	Tim Johnson 	Pacific Coast Racing
12 	British Grand Prix 	Mick Schumacher	Enzo Fittipaldi	Enzo Fittipaldi	McLaren F1 Team
13 	Hungarian Grand Prix 	Alexander Albon	Pierre Gasly 	Jamie Chadwick 	March Racing Organisation
14 	Belgian Grand Prix 	Suki Honda 	Roy Nissany 	Mick Schumacher	Benetton Formula
15 	French Grand Prix 	Théo Pourchaire	Suki Honda 	Enzo Fittipaldi	McLaren F1 Team
16 	Dutch Grand Prix 	Wendy Burleson 	George Norris 	Max Verstappen 	Oracle Red Bull Racing
17 	Portugese Grand Prix 	Enzo Fittipaldi	Charles Leclerc	Suki Honda 	Pacific Coast Racing
18 	Italian Grand Prix 	Josef Newgarden	Suki Honda 	Jamie Chadwick 	March Racing Organisation
19 	Detroit Grand Prix 	Enzo Fittipaldi	Sting Ray Robb 	Tim Johnson 	Pacific Coast Racing
20 	Pacific Grand Prix 	Lando Norris 	Álex Palou 	Álex Palou 	Target Chip Ganassi Racing
21 	United States Grand Prix 	Pierre Gasly 	Max Verstappen 	Enzo Fittipaldi	McLaren F1 Team
22 	Mexico City Grand Prix 	Ayumu Iwasa 	Carlos Sainz 	Tim Johnson 	Pacific Coast Racing
23 	Canadian Grand Prix 	Mustafa Rush 	Charles Leclerc	Max Verstappen 	Oracle Red Bull Racing
24 	Las Vegas Grand Prix 	Suki Honda 	Tim Johnson 	Tim Johnson 	Pacific Coast Racing
25 	California Grand Prix 	Álex Palou 	Josef Newgarden	Enzo Fittipaldi	McLaren F1 Team
26 	São Paulo Grand Prix 	Jamie Chadwick 	Sergio Perez 	Enzo Fittipaldi	McLaren F1 Team
Category:Grand Prix International
Category:Racing
Category:Formula One