Unprecedented overlap: Why a Grand Prix and the Indy 500 could happen simultaneously in 2026?

The Canadian Grand Prix next season will be the seventh weekend on the Formula 1 calendar, and will be held on 22-24 May, significantly earlier than this year's event in Montreal.

That also means that for the first time ever, a Grand Prix will be held while the Indy 500 will be underway. This year, the Monaco GP was on the same day, however, the race in the Principality finished a couple hours before the green flag was waved in the state of Indiana.

GPblog understands that this will not happen regularly in the upcoming years, and the events will only clash every five seasons.

This year, the F1 GP will begin at 19:00 BST, while the Triple Crown event begins at 17:45 BST, meaning it could be possible that the two events will overlap.

For Formula 1, that 19:00 BST start time also works out fine, as the Grand Prix gets underway at 14:00 local time, but the European fans still get to enjoy the race in primetime.

The Canadian Grand Prix has been usually held in June, when usually the weather is believed to be the best at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, even as for example, last year barely any laps were completed in FP1 because of the rainy conditions.

A change was resisted, but eventually it happened, however, the Canadian GP cannot take place earlier in the season because of the weather and freezing conditions.

This helps with logistics and sustainability, as this season in between these two events in North America, the Emilia-Romagna, the Monaco and the Spanish Grands Prix were all held.

Now, the F1 grid also goes to Montreal when the European season is already underway.

Moreover, with two East-coast Grands Prix back-to-back in North America, there is a one-weekend gap in the schedule, so the gap helps the promoters as well.