Discover everything about the Formula 1 Sprint weekend format for the upcoming 2026 season. For the 2026 season, six out of the 24 F1 race weekends will feature the Sprint format, with Canada, the Netherlands, and Singapore hosting Sprint weekends for the first time, while the British Grand Prix returns to the Sprint format for the first time since 2021. The introduction of the Sprint format, which includes a shorter Saturday race, aims to enhance the excitement at tracks known for overtaking, while ensuring competitive track sessions for fans on all three days of the race weekend. Initially introduced at three venues per season, the Sprint format expanded to six from 2023.
These weekends feature a revised schedule, including a qualifying session on Friday for the Sprint, followed by a 100km race on Saturday that offers crucial extra world championship points. The schedule for Sprint weekends is as follows: Friday Practice One, Sprint Qualifying, Saturday Sprint, Grand Prix Qualifying, and Sunday Grand Prix. Sprint weekends begin with a one-hour free practice session on Friday, followed by Sprint Qualifying later in the day. On Saturday, the 100km Sprint contest takes place, followed by full Qualifying to set the grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Friday session to determine the Sprint grid will follow the same format as the previous season, with each of its three parts adhering to the same knockout rules as full Qualifying but with shorter durations to address engine and tyre concerns. The goal is for each car to have only one flying lap in each session, although two runs can be completed in SQ1, and SQ2 and SQ3 allow time for two timed laps without a pit stop in between attempts. A key difference between Sprint Qualifying and full Qualifying is the restriction on tyre usage in the former.
While drivers can use any available tyres in regular qualifying, in Sprint Qualifying, they are only allowed to run one set of tyres in each part. A new set of medium tyres is mandatory in SQ1 and SQ2, while a set of soft tyres - new or otherwise - is mandatory in SQ3.
The points system for the Sprint in 2026 remains unchanged, with a total of 36 points available for the top eight finishers in Saturday's race. Given the short duration of the Sprint, pit stops are rare, and unless cars suffer damage or puncture or it rains, they are unlikely to leave the track for the pit lane. Drivers can choose to run on any tyre compound - hard, medium, or soft - they prefer. Since the current Sprint schedule was adopted, teams have had the opportunity to make setup changes to their cars through the weekend.
Although cars go into parc ferme when the first competitive session - Friday's Sprint Qualifying - begins, they are released from the restrictions after Saturday's Sprint, allowing teams to use the knowledge they've gained to alter setups ahead of full Qualifying. The 2026 F1 season resumes in Miami with a Sprint weekend, and you can watch it live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday's Grand Prix at 9pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime.