Formula 1 has announced its 2027 calendar, and the biggest surprise is Monaco. The Principality is hosting its first-ever Sprint weekend, and the move is so strange that it almost reads as a joke. The 24-race season starts and ends with Sprints, and the schedule includes four more than ever before. Here is why Monaco is staging a first-ever Sprint, and what else changed for next year.
The Sprint Count Goes Up
Formula 1 is adding four more Sprint weekends to the 2027 calendar. The total now stands at 10, compared to the six that have run each of the past four seasons. The format, which debuted in 2021, adds an extra qualifying session to set the grid for a short 100km race. F1 says global television audiences are 12 per cent higher on Sprint weekends than on standard ones with three practice sessions.
The 10 venues are split evenly between tracks that have done Sprints before and newcomers. The repeat locations are:
- Montreal
- Silverstone
- Monza
- Interlagos
- Qatar’s Lusail
The new ones are Sakhir, Albert Park, Suzuka, Monaco and Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit.
Why Monaco Makes No Sense
Monaco has never hosted a Sprint before. Its main Grand Prix is a 78-lap procession around a narrow, twisty street circuit. Overtaking is rare in dry conditions, and the race often runs without drama. The track is famous for the spectacle of Qualifying, where drivers thread F1 cars between barriers at full speed.
Adding a Sprint changes that dynamic. There will now be two grid-setting sessions at Monaco in 2027, which F1 points out as the main benefit. Having only one practice session instead of three could also shake up the pecking order. Drivers will have less time to build rhythm and confidence, and that could favour drivers who thrive under pressure.
Craig Slater, Sky Sports’ commentator, captured the absurdity of it all. “Traditionally Sprints have been held at tracks where it is easy to overtake. Clearly that’s not the case at Monaco,” he said. “But the big bonus here we’ll have two red-hot qualifying sessions. That’s what that track is all about and the drivers will have the ultimate test on two occasions that weekend.”
The Season Opens and Closes With Sprints
Bahrain will open the 2027 season with a Sprint on March 12-14. Abu Dhabi will close it on December 10-12. The season opener presents a different challenge for teams and drivers, who will have just one practice session before the Friday evening Sprint Qualifying.
Pre-season testing at the same Sakhir circuit runs February 24-27, four days instead of three. That gives teams some familiarity with the track in the new 2027 cars. Still, the Sprint opener is a new challenge, and it could offer early surprises in the pecking order if teams are not ready.
The season ending with back-to-back Sprints in Qatar and Abu Dhabi raises the possibility of the world title being decided in a Saturday race. There is precedent for this: Max Verstappen clinched his third world title in the Sprint at Qatar 2023.
Middle East Rounds Stay On The Calendar
All four of F1’s Middle Eastern races appear on the 2027 schedule, bookending the 24-race campaign. The same applies to 2026’s final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with just over two months to go before the sport heads there.
This year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled because of conflict, and the Bahrain Grand Prix was moved to Malaysia on October 4. It was originally scheduled for April at its own Sakhir track a week before Jeddah. F1’s intention and planning remains for 2026’s concluding two rounds to go ahead as scheduled. Stefano Domenicali had previously suggested a mid-September timeframe for a final decision, but there is no hard deadline. Officials can wait longer before making a call.
Italy’s Imola circuit is understood to be the contingency to close the current season in December if the Middle Eastern rounds cannot take place. The early-season 2027 dates in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are not scheduled for another five months, giving F1 and the FIA plenty of time to monitor the situation.
Portugal and Turkey Return
Formula 1’s calendar first reached a record 24 grands prix in 2024, and that number is again scheduled for 2027. The full list of venues is available at skysports.com, where all ten are detailed.
The irony of Monaco hosting a Sprint is the whole point. A track where overtaking barely happens is now running a format built around it. The spectacle will come from the Qualifying sessions, not the racing itself. That is the trade-off F1 has made, and it is a bold one.
The 2027 calendar is a gamble on spectacle. More Sprints mean more qualifying sessions, which means more drama. The risk is that the racing itself stays predictable. Monaco will test that theory immediately, and the world will see whether the grid-setting chaos outweighs the lack of passing.
The season opener in Bahrain will also be a test. Teams will have just one practice session before the Sprint, and the pre-season testing at Sakhir gives them some preparation. Whether that is enough remains to be seen.
The Middle Eastern rounds remain in doubt for 2026, but F1 is planning as though they will happen. The contingency plan at Imola is ready if they fall through. For now, the calendar stands as scheduled.
The 2027 season promises a mix of familiar venues and new ones. The Sprint format continues to expand, and Monaco is the most surprising addition yet. The question is whether the racing can keep up with the spectacle. We will know soon enough.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.