The Indianapolis 500 has gone from sharing a ‘day’ with its triple crown sister race, Monaco, to a race in the same time zone…Canada. What will the implications be for the Indy 500, IndyCar series, Formula 1, and for fans of both series?
One Problem Solved: No More Indy 500 and Monaco GP Clash
For years, the motorsport world has been forced to split its attention between two iconic events – the Indy 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix – both traditionally held on the final Sunday in May. Breaking up the triple crown of motorsports was a kept promise for the 2026 season.
Late last year, a deal was struck to move the Monaco Grand Prix into June. Fans, brands, broadcasters, and many drivers hoped this would end the Indy 500 and F1 clash for the first time since 2010. This promise was dutifully kept by Formula 1… sort of.
A New Challenge: Indy 500 vs. F1 Canadian GP
Enter a new complication: While Monaco moves out of the month of May entirely, F1’s Canadian Grand Prix moves up the schedule.
Both races are now set to be held in North America on the same Sunday in 2026. This means that there will be both an overlap in dates, but more importantly competing time zones, television windows, press coverage, and audience attention.
While Monaco and the Indy 500 were a symbolic challenge, fans and press could still enjoy both at different times on race day. Unlike Monaco, which starts in the morning in the United States, the Canadian GP shares a much closer schedule to the Indy 500. Based on prior race lengths and start times… it’s a real possibility that direct overlap in the races will occur.
The result? A direct ratings battle and potentially a diluted audience for each race.
Impact on IndyCar and Formula 1
For IndyCar:
- TV Ratings: The Indy 500 is the biggest event of the IndyCar season. Sharing airtime with F1 could split viewership and hurt overall exposure.
- Fan Crossover: With both races now in North America, streaming viewership AND in person attendance are in question. The Indy 500 just sold out for the first time in nearly 10 years, but a nearby F1 race could cannibalize sales.
- Sponsorship and Broadcast Conflicts: Brands investing in IndyCar may be concerned about overlapping media impressions and audience pull.
For Formula 1:
- North American Growth: F1 is growing fast in the U.S. and Canada, but competing with the Indy 500 could slow that momentum.
- Canadian GP Profile: While beloved, the Canadian Grand Prix is not a “crown jewel” of the F1 calendar or even part of the motorsport triple crown. Now, it must compete with one of the most iconic events in global racing.
The Bigger Picture: Author’s Take
A conflict free calendar between motorsports series is frankly never going to happen. There are too many marquee and unique series globally to completely avoid streaming and viewership scheduling snafus.
The ‘blame’, if there is any to be had, lies solely on Formula 1 for poor decision making in the 2026 schedule. We can acknowledge that contracts related to site usage and promoters play a hand in schedule decisions. However, this move nearly feels personal. The choice of running a North American F1 race during the largest single day motorsports event in North America (the Indy 500) looks like a direct challenge between the series.
However, amongst a North American audience… IndyCar will not be the concerned party. Fans are going to choose to watch the Indy 500 regardless of the timing of a Formula 1 race. Let’s compare the viewership on a weekend without overlap. In 2025, 7 million fans watched the Indy 500. In 2024, conversely, Canada had 1.8 million viewers in the U.S.
So, then, why would Formula 1 choose to compete in a market that has been their focus of expansion for the better part of a decade? Even drivers and pundits have been chiming in:
“Congrats to @f1 who single handedly ruined Motorsport Xmas. Indy 500 will be a scene next year. As well as the Coke 600. Good luck” – Scott McLaughlin, IndyCar Driver, via X
“Solid F1 calendar for 26 but a shame the Monaco / 500 clash has become a Canada / 500 clash. Know a heap of F1 folks who, aware the Monaco clash was being removed, were hoping to back an Indy 500 visit onto attending the CanadianGP next year, but that’ll have to wait.” – Will Buxton, IndyCar Commentator and former F1 Presenter
Will Formula 1 choose to respond? Likely not.
How will the fans respond in 2026? My money is on a continued ratings and viewership hike for the Indy500. Formula 1 will definitely feel the effects of this scheduling snafu in 2026. As a North American Race fan myself, nothing is stopping me (and 7 million others) from watching the Indy500 next year.
Which will you choose in 2026?
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Feature Image: IndyCar Media Centre and Red Bull Content Pool
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