Martin Brundle Scales Back F1 Commitments for 2026 with a Nurburgring Relaunch

Martin Brundle has confirmed that his Sky Sports F1 schedule for 2026 covers 16 races, a step back from the 18 rounds he attended in 2025, as the veteran broadcaster manages his workload across what promises to be one of the more eventful mid-season breaks in recent memory.



Brundle, who turns 67 in June and received an OBE for services to motor racing and sports broadcasting last year, has been part of Sky’s F1 operation since 2012 after earlier stints at ITV and the BBC. His grid walks and pre-race analysis have become one of the more distinctive features of Sky’s coverage over that period.



The decision to miss certain races is partly structural and partly practical. Sky has operated a rotation system across its presenting and commentary team for several years as the calendar has expanded toward 24 rounds in recent seasons.



Brundle has noted that the early-hours races, particularly those in Asia, are the ones he tends to skip. He was absent from Suzuka this year, something he acknowledged with some regret. “I always feel a bit sad when I’m not in Suzuka because I love that track as a driver and as a broadcaster, but I can’t do them all these days.”



Whether the reduced schedule is a reflection of contractual changes or a knock-on effect from the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancellations, which have trimmed the maximum race count for 2026 to 22, is unclear. Sky declined to comment when contacted on the matter.



What Brundle did make clear is that his return in Miami will come at a significant moment for the sport. Describing the Florida weekend as likely to represent “one of the biggest relaunches in the history of Formula 1,” he suggested the combination of regulation tweaks, a five-week absence from racing, and a sprint weekend format will make for a genuinely consequential round.



The Miami Grand Prix on May 1 to 3 is where whatever emerges from April’s regulatory discussions will first be visible on track. If qualifying looks different, if the energy management profile has been adjusted, and if the field is more closely contested through the lap, it will arrive as a measurable vindication of the April process. If not, the conversation will intensify quickly.
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