Why the F1 season is set to ignite! The four key races in five weeks

Formula 1's 2026 season finally hits overdrive in June as the Monaco Grand Prix opens a run of four key races in the next five weeks.

After the campaign's first five flyaway rounds were ultimately spread out over 12 weeks, with no races taking place in April at all after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian events were called off, F1 enters an intense summer period when the next nine grands prix are all in Europe.

That 'European season' runs either side of the usual August summer break and begins with an initial burst of four races - Monaco, Barcelona, Austria and Great Britain - in five weeks in a run which will add further definition and crucial momentum to the battles for this year's world championships after a thrilling but stop-start opening to the campaign.

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But what can we expect from the next five tracks as the in-season development race and battle for supremacy at the front of the field really starts to heat up?

Monaco Grand Prix - June 5-7

The Jewel in the Crown begins a run of European rounds that lasts until September and there is extra excitement for this year's Monaco Grand Prix to see how the new 2026 cars fare.

There is expected to be little to no need for lifting and coasting to recharge the battery, so the drivers can push to the limit in Qualifying, which is always thrilling in Monaco anyway.

Ferrari have excelled in slow-speed corners this season, so are set to have a massive chance to end Mercedes' winning streak so far this season.

Charles Leclerc is somewhat of a Monaco specialist as he can demonstrate his incredible bravery and skill over one lap, with the extra motivation of driving on home soil.

And with smaller cars this year, we might see some overtaking which has been a rare feature at the Monaco Grand Prix over the last nine years.

Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix - June 12-14

Traditionally, teams always target Barcelona to bring plenty of new parts and this year should be no different as the development race continues.

Given it is easy to have car damage in Monaco, teams will generally have new front wings or floors for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a circuit that tests every aspect of the car.

It is a pure aerodynamic circuit thanks to its long main straight and long-radius corners. If you are quick here in Spain, you will be fast at most tracks on the calendar.

The high-speed corners mean the tyres will be punished, so the cars with the best tyre wear will also come out on top.

This is an area McLaren appear to be strong at, when assessing the opening five races, and they have also been the best team when it comes to development over the last three years. Could Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris pick up their first win of the season in Spain?

Austrian Grand Prix - June 26-28

The Red Bull Ring might be the shortest track in terms of lap time, with only seven corners which require the drivers to touch the brakes, but it often provides great racing.

Given this year's F1 cars can follow more closely and Overtake Mode is allowing battles to continue for successive laps, the Austrian Grand Prix should not be missed.

Overtakes can be made up the hill to Turn 3 but usually carry on down towards Turn 4. McLaren's Norris and Piastri had a great fight last season in the first part of the race, so we should see more of that later this year.

It could be a big weekend for Red Bull as it is their home event and Max Verstappen is particularly strong at the Spielberg circuit, with a record five wins.

Verstappen's future is uncertain as he's unhappy with the current F1 regulations but by the end of this month, we should know if there will be changes to the power unit rules for 2027, which could dictate whether the Dutchman remains in the sport.

British Grand Prix - July 3-5

For the first time since 2021, Silverstone will host a Sprint weekend and by this point, plenty of British F1 fans will be hoping Ferrari have closed the gap to Mercedes so Hamilton can target a record-extending 10th British Grand Prix win.

Hamilton always brings an extra tenth of a second in front of his home crowd, pushing his car to its absolute limit through iconic corners such as Luffield, Maggots, Becketts and Stowe.

George Russell will be hoping to have some momentum on his side heading into Silverstone, given he's likely still going to be trailing Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers' Championship given his team-mate's advantage currently stands at 43 points.

The Mercedes driver is yet to finish on the podium at the British Grand Prix but with eight points on offer for the Sprint winner before the main Sunday event, this year's format could present the perfect time to change his Silverstone fortunes this year.

Watch the Monaco Grand Prix, the first of six races in eight weeks, live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime