The 2027 Formula 1 schedule has been released, and once again the championship will stretch across a record‑tying 24 race weekends. While the sheer number of events is impressive, the real points of interest lie in several notable adjustments: a boost in the number of Sprint weekends, the surprising addition of Monaco to the Sprint roster, the continued presence of the Middle‑East rounds, and the revival of two fan‑favorite circuits. In July, Formula 1 confirmed that the Sprint format will expand to ten events in 2027, up from six in each of the previous four seasons. This brings the total to four more Sprint weekends than before.
The Sprint, first introduced in 2021, consists of a short 100‑kilometre race that follows a separate qualifying session on Friday, setting the grid for the Sprint itself, with the traditional Grand Prix qualifying taking place on Saturday and the main race on Sunday. The format has proven popular, delivering a 12 percent increase in global TV viewership compared with standard weekends that feature three practice sessions. The ten venues slated for Sprint action are evenly split between tracks that have already hosted Sprints—Montreal, Silverstone, Monza, Interlagos and Qatar’s Lusail circuit—and newcomers to the format, which include Sakhir (Bahrain), Albert Park (Australia), Suzuka (Japan), Monaco and Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina.
The points system, rewarding the top eight finishers, is expected to stay unchanged for 2027. Monaco’s inclusion has sparked the most discussion.
The Principality has never held a Sprint race, and its traditional 78‑lap Grand Prix is notorious for being hard to overtake due to the narrow, twisty layout lined with barriers. Historically, the highlight of a Monaco weekend has been the qualifying session, where drivers thread their cars through the tight street circuit at full speed. Adding a Sprint means there will now be two grid‑setting sessions in a single weekend, effectively doubling the drama. As Sky Sports analyst Craig Slater noted, “Sprints are usually run on circuits where overtaking is easier, which isn’t the case at Monaco.
But the upside is we get two high‑intensity qualifying sessions, which is exactly what that track is famous for.” The reduced practice time—only one session instead of the usual three—could also inject more unpredictability into the order, as drivers will have less opportunity to find rhythm and confidence, elements that are crucial for success on the demanding Monte‑Carlo streets. Another first for 2027 is that the season will both start and finish with Sprint weekends. Bahrain will open the campaign with a Sprint weekend on 12‑14 March, while Abu Dhabi will close the year with a Sprint on 10‑12 December. The opening Sprint presents a unique challenge: teams will have just a single practice session to fine‑tune the new 2027 cars before the Friday Sprint Qualifying.
However, pre‑season testing at the same Sakhir circuit is scheduled for four days (24‑27 February), giving crews extra track time ahead of the competitive weekend. The season‑ending back‑to‑back Sprint events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi raise the possibility that the World Championship could be decided on a Saturday, as happened in Qatar 2023 when Max Verstappen secured his third title during the Sprint. With four Middle‑East races bookending the 24‑race calendar, the championship narrative could swing dramatically in the final weeks. Geopolitical tensions have already impacted the schedule.
This year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled, and the Bahrain Grand Prix was moved to Malaysia for 4 October after originally being slated for April at Sakhir. Despite these disruptions, F1 officials intend to keep the 2026 concluding Middle‑East rounds as planned, with a decision deadline initially set for mid‑September but without a firm cutoff, allowing flexibility as the situation evolves. Should the Middle‑East events become untenable, the Imola circuit in Italy is earmarked as a contingency venue to close the season in December.
Looking beyond the Sprint changes, the 2027 calendar also marks the return of Portugal’s Portimão and Turkey’s Istanbul Park, both of which last appeared in 2020‑2021 when the sport added extra venues to mitigate Covid‑related cancellations. These two circuits replace the Barcelona‑Catalunya Grand Prix, which will enter a rotation with the Belgian GP and return in 2028, and the Dutch Grand Prix, whose contract has ended. Portimão will take over Barcelona’s June slot, while Istanbul Park will rejoin the schedule in early October, fitting into a slightly reshuffled post‑summer break block that now stretches five weeks. The season will conclude on 12 December, a week later than the current year and matching the joint‑latest finish date since 2020.
Notably, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held on a Saturday as part of a triple‑header from 24‑26 September, adding another variation to the traditional Sunday race format. In summary, the 2027 Formula 1 calendar retains the record‑tying 24‑race structure but introduces significant shifts: ten Sprint weekends—including the unprecedented Monaco Sprint—expanded pre‑season testing, and a strategic placement of Middle‑East events that could influence the championship outcome. The re‑introduction of Portimão and Istanbul Park adds fresh challenges for teams and fans alike, while the rotation of Barcelona and the Dutch round reflects F1’s ongoing effort to balance tradition with flexibility in a rapidly changing global landscape.