Key Takeaways:
- Friday Cancelled: Ongoing construction issues and incomplete tire barriers on the Streets of Markham circuit forced IndyCar to cancel all Friday sessions.
- Packed Saturday Schedule: Both practice sessions and qualifying will take place on Saturday, August 15, condensed into a single day ahead of Sunday’s main race.
- Frustration over Delays: IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles expressed disappointment with race promoters while apologizing to the local Canadian fans who turned out in large numbers.
Delays in completing track assembly for the 2.19-mile (3.52 km) street circuit in Markham, Canada, forced IndyCar officials to cancel all on-track activity scheduled for Friday, August 14. Following multiple postponements throughout the afternoon, track activity for the 14th round of the 2026 season was officially pushed to Saturday, August 15.
The temporary venue—introduced for 2026 as a replacement for the Exhibition Place circuit in Toronto due to 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations at BMO Stadium—faced significant logistical delays. Driver track walks were cancelled on Thursday, while installation of tire barriers, marshal safety cutouts, and spectator bridges continued through Friday morning and afternoon.
“IndyCar is incredibly disappointed that our promoter was not able to complete the track build on time, despite significant support from our team on site,” stated IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles. “New events can always pose logistical challenges, and we join in the frustration of our loyal fans and apologize”.
Unfinished track conditions forced IndyCar to compress its entire schedule into Saturday.
Updated Markham GP Saturday Schedule
Below are the rescheduled session times for the NTT IndyCar Series on Saturday, August 15, listed in both local time (EDT / UTC-4) and Brasília time (BRT / UTC-3):
| Session | Local Time (EDT) |
| Practice 1 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM |
| Practice 2 | 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM |
| Qualifying | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM |
Note: Due to evening time constraints, qualifying will follow the traditional road course knockout format.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Sunday’s race time affected by the Friday delays?
No. Main race programming remains unchanged, with the green flag scheduled for 12:22 PM EDT (1:22 PM BRT) on Sunday, August 16.
Why was the 2026 race moved from Toronto to Markham?
The event moved 40 km north to Markham because the traditional Toronto Exhibition Place grounds were unavailable due to hosting logistics for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at BMO Stadium.
