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Is Formula 1 Making the Same Mistake NASCAR Did in the 2000s?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Swaraj Patil | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 11:04 AM ET

Formula 1 has now thrown a scheduling bomb that has motorsports fans scratching their heads. The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix will take place on Memorial Day weekend, which of course is held in conjunction with the Indianapolis 500. This marks the end of a 50-year-old tradition of keeping the crown jewels of racing in their own lanes.

Memorial Day was hallowed ground for years. Monaco in the morning, Indy in the afternoon and the Coca-Cola 600 at night. Fans could gorge on all three without losing the pace. F1 now wants to rain on that parade, with the Montreal start time at 2 p.m. and the 500 at 12:45 p.m.

The argument does seem logical. F1 says they’re pursuing sustainability goals by pairing Miami and Montreal in May to eliminate traveling between continents. They also have nine consecutive European races after that, which makes logistics easier.

But this is where the NASCAR analogy starts to chafe. In the 2000's NASCAR was riding high and making ambitious moves to grow the sport. New markets, longer schedules, format changes, they tried everything. The trouble was that they’d forgotten what had made them special in the first place.

NASCAR’s core audience believed they were left out as the series pursued bright, shiny opportunities. The subsequent downturn would take years to shake off. Sound familiar?

For 109 years, the Indy 500 has owned Memorial Day weekend in North America.

Now F1 wants a piece of it, scheduling its 2026 Canadian Grand Prix at the exact same time — forcing racing fans to choose.

Motorsports writer @jeff_gluck calls it "a breathtakingly disrespectful move"… pic.twitter.com/0L5GPZ0zZC
— The Athletic Motorsports (@TheAthleticAUTO) June 10, 2025

F1 has been making some impressive inroads into North America, but this feels like overreach. Indy 500 draws over 350,000 fans and TV numbers that most sports would covet. It seems a little foolish to go toe-to-toe with that when there really is room for everyone.

Sometimes wisdom lies in knowing when not to compete. There's room for everyone in racing's big tent. NASCAR learned that lesson through painful experience. F1 won't need to repeat those same mistakes.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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