Formula 1 will increase its sprint schedule from six races to 10 for the 2027 World Championship, bringing the shorter Saturday race format to Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi for the first time.
The World Motor Sport Council approved the 2027 calendar, which was announced on 16 September 2026. The season will feature 24 races across 22 countries and is scheduled to begin in Bahrain on 12-14 March. Pre-season testing will take place in Bahrain from 24–27 February.
Sprints will return to Canada, Britain, Italy, Brazil and Qatar. The expanded programme takes the format beyond the previous seasonal maximum of six sprint events.
The decision gives Monaco its first sprint weekend. The circuit will host two qualifying sessions as part of the format, adding a Friday contest alongside its established qualifying schedule.
A sprint weekend includes an additional qualifying session on Friday and a shorter race on Saturday. Formula 1 introduced the format in 2021 and has increasingly used it to add competitive sessions across the weekend.
The sport said total viewership for sprint weekends has been 12% higher than for non-sprint weekends since the format began. It also said Sprint Qualifying has drawn up to three times more fan interest than Free Practice.
Formula 1 cited ticket-holder feedback as another reason for the expansion. It said 82% of people attending sprint weekends believe the format adds value to their ticket, while 75% of F1 fans say sprint events add greater value to a season's calendar.
Silverstone's 2026 British Grand Prix, which included a sprint, attracted 64,000 more fans across four days than the previous year's event, which did not have a sprint. Britain will remain among the sprint venues in 2027.
The larger programme also means added demands for organisers. Sprint events usually cost more to stage.
For fans, Monaco is the standout addition. Its place on the sprint roster means one of Formula 1's best-known races will adopt a different rhythm, with competitive action beginning earlier in the weekend and two qualifying sessions shaping the event.
The wider 2027 calendar will also re-introduce races in Portugal and Turkey.
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