F1 2027 calendar: Sprint races expanded to 10, including Monaco for the first time
Formula 1 has revealed its 2027 calendar featuring a record-equalling 24 races and an expansion of Sprint events from six to ten, including a first-ever Sprint in Monaco. Several Middle East rounds remain in doubt due to the ongoing regional conflict.
Calendar and key changes
Formula 1 has officially announced its 2027 World Championship calendar, comprising 24 race weekends, matching the current record. The season opens in Bahrain on 12-14 March, followed by Saudi Arabia a week later, and concludes with back-to-back events in Qatar (3-5 December) and Abu Dhabi (10-12 December). The calendar sees the return of Portugal (18-20 June) and Turkey (1-3 October), both last featured as pandemic-era placeholder races.
Sprint races rise to ten
For 2027, the Sprint format — a shorter Saturday race with an additional Friday qualifying session — will be held for the first time in Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi. The remaining five Sprints will take place in Canada, Britain, Italy, Brazil and Qatar, all venues that have hosted the format before. The previous maximum for a single season was six. Sky Sports reports that Sprint weekends generate television audiences around 12% higher than standard weekends. BBC notes that Silverstone officials credit this year's Sprint with contributing to a record attendance, with 64,000 more fans over the four-day event compared with the previous, non-Sprint year.
Monaco's surprise addition
The biggest talking point is the inclusion of a Sprint in Monaco, where overtaking on the narrow, twisting street circuit is notoriously difficult. F1 argues the move effectively delivers two separate qualifying sessions, with Monaco qualifying traditionally regarded as one of the season's highlights. According to Sky Sports, the Sprint weekend format means teams will have only one practice session instead of the usual three, potentially adding unpredictability. Once the field completes the first lap, the Sprint's finishing order is likely to change little barring incidents.
Middle East uncertainty persists
Both the start of the 2027 season and the end of the 2026 season remain uncertain amid the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. F1 says it is preparing contingency plans should the 2026 Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds be unable to proceed as scheduled, and is also weighing alternative options for the 2027 season opener. On Sunday, several nations involved in or affected by the conflict issued a statement calling for "maximum restraint". F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem both highlighted the calendar's global scope and the expanded Sprint programme in their statements.
