When Formula 1 announced its Canadian Grand Prix would run on the same day as the Indianapolis 500, it didn’t exactly get the warmest reaction from fans.

The Monaco race, which used to happen on the same day as the Indianapolis 500 – before moving to June with a new deal in 2024 – is on a different time zone and finished long before the pomp and ceremony begins in Indiana.

Now, the Montreal F1 race goes up against the Indy 500 as a threat for viewers – and possibly attendees – far closer to home than the Indianapolis 500 is used to. After all, North American fans would be much less likely to be able to go to Monaco than Canada.

On F1’s side, this Montreal date move avoided criss-crossing continents and having a solitary race in North America, especially with the introduction of Miami earlier in the year – albeit Montreal will be three weeks after Miami.

And also, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve track needs considerable build-time and concerns over snowstorms meant having the race any earlier was a concern.

With F1 revealing its start times for the 2026 season on Tuesday, the Montreal race has been given a 4pm start time (local). It started at 2pm in 2025.

Indianapolis is on the same time zone at that time of year, and the 500 typically kicks off at 1245pm – providing a three-hour, 15-minute window before the Canadian Grand Prix – and lasted just under three hours this year.

With that start time in Montreal, any delays at the Indy 500 are likely to put the end of that race and the start of the F1 event in direct competition, which is no good for either series.

However, The Race understands F1 has worked with the organiser of the Indy 500 to best avoid clashes between the two.

Had the Indy 500 started on time this year – it was delayed by 30 minutes due to rain – viewers would have been able to watch the 500 in full before switching to Montreal, albeit likely missing some of the post-ceremony items in Indy.

So a 4pm start time is a neat solution for both parties, even if the real solution that fans would have wanted is to not have to choose between the two at all.

IndyCar has remained relaxed over the clash, if disappointed for fans, but is confident in its Indy 500 product, especially after an enormous push by new TV promoter FOX, which included a Super Bowl commercial and College Football and further NFL promotion of the 500.

F1’s increased participation in and focus on the North American market has caused some division in IndyCar circles as to whether it’s a good or a bad thing for IndyCar. 

F1 has put itself first with moving the Canadian Grand Prix, and is not silly enough to crash directly with the Indy 500. But it didn’t really have to consult the Indy 500 organiser at all.

It’s a vital step that the two parties to engage on this to avoid clashing as much as possible.

It’s the fans driving the criticism of the clash, but the clash does neither event any good either.