Formula 1 chiefs confirm 2026 calendar change in surprise decision

Formula 1's 2026 season will see a rare Saturday race after an alteration was made to the calendar. The FIA and F1 agreed to move next year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The race, originally scheduled for Sunday September 27, will now take place Saturday September 26. F1's teams have been informed of the change which sees the race brought forward 24 hours.

The decision arrives after the Azerbaijan race promoter and government stakeholders requested the move. September 27th is a national day where the country has day of remembrance for those who died in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

The announcement arrived along with confirmation of the 2026 pre-season testing dates. There will be three tests for constructors to utilise.

Barcelona and Bahrain will play host to the trio of events. They will take place in January and February.

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The first test will see teams undergo a private outing at at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and co will call the track home across January 26 -30.

The next two tests will the take place at the Bahrain International Circuit. Each will start a week apart on February 11-13 and February 18-20 respectively.

The news arrives as the 2025 calendar prepares to move on to Silverstone next weekend. The Northamptonshire track will welcome the sport's stars with home favourite Lando Norris chasing down McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri after beating him to win the Austrian Grand Prix.

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Norris trails Piastri by 15 points going into the race having claimed two fewer wins so far this season. The pair comfortably lead the standings currently ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who crashed out of proceedings in Austria, and Brit George Russell who are separated by just nine points but are more than 60 off top spot.

The 25-year-old Norris is already excited by the prospect of returning to Silverstone. "Of course, it's a place I want to win more than anywhere else, but it doesn't change anything," he said.

"It just puts a bit more of a smile on my face every morning when I wake up. It probably distracts me in a good way more than anything... more of a positive distraction, I would say, more than a pressure.

"There's pressure in every race. There's pressure to win today, to be on pole yesterday. I don't think I can put myself under any more pressure."