World champion Lando Norris believes that the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix will present a considerably tougher test for Formula 1 drivers next year, primarily because the race weekend will now incorporate the Sprint format. The 2027 F1 calendar, which was released on Wednesday, expands the number of Sprint weekends to ten – an increase of four compared with the current season – and designates the iconic streets of Monte Carlo as a host for this alternative race structure for the first time. Monaco’s famously narrow, winding circuit has never been celebrated for providing overtaking opportunities; in fact, it is often cited as the ultimate qualifying challenge in the sport.
Historically, the Sprint format has been deployed on tracks where overtaking is more feasible, allowing drivers to make up positions over a short, intense race. Applying that format to a venue where passing is notoriously difficult adds a new layer of difficulty, especially during qualifying, where every tenth of a second can determine grid placement. When asked about the change during an interview with Sky Sports F1’s Natalie Pinkham – alongside golfer Justin Rose – at the BMW PGA Championship Pro‑Am at Wentworth, the McLaren driver explained his perspective.
“Interesting,” Norris began. “The main thing is that now you have a free‑practice session on Friday, followed by Sprint qualifying, and that’s the real challenge.
Normally you have three one‑hour practice sessions to get a feel for the track, but now you’re being asked to condense all that preparation into a single 60‑minute session. That’s something we’ve never had to do in Monaco before.” In a typical Monaco weekend, drivers benefit from three separate practice periods, each lasting an hour, to fine‑tune their car set‑up, learn the rhythm of the circuit, and build confidence on a track where any mistake is quickly punished by the unforgiving barriers. The reduction to a single practice hour forces teams and drivers to extract maximum information in a very limited window.
Set‑up work, tyre testing, and data collection must all be compressed, leaving little margin for error. Norris elaborated on how this compressed schedule will affect driver strategy.
“It’s more about relying on the data we gathered this year,” he said. “It’s obviously tougher for us as drivers because we don’t have as much time to build up a feel for the car and the track. We’re going to have to take a bit more risk earlier in the weekend. Usually, you can sit back, get comfortable, and push the car to about 99 percent of its limit.
In Monaco, if you push beyond that – say to 103 or 104 percent – the consequences are immediate and severe; you hit the wall and it’s game over.” He added that this heightened pressure could make the event more thrilling for spectators. “It’s more exciting for the fans and the people watching,” Norris noted, implying that the element of risk and the need for decisive action early on could produce more dramatic moments on television. The significance of the change is underscored by Norris’s own history at the circuit. He secured a pole position and went on to win the Monaco Grand Prix in 2025, a key victory in his title‑winning campaign.
That experience gives him a personal connection to the track and a clear understanding of how delicate the balance is between aggression and caution in Monte Carlo’s tight confines. Beyond the immediate implications for drivers, the introduction of a Sprint race on a Saturday also reshapes the broader weekend schedule for fans and broadcasters. The 2027 season will feature a triple‑header of races from September 24‑26, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku also moving to a Saturday start.
This shift aims to create a more compact and engaging viewing experience, offering fans a condensed burst of action across multiple venues. From a technical standpoint, teams will need to adapt their engineering approaches. With only one practice session, data collection on tyre degradation, fuel loads, and aerodynamic balance becomes a high‑stakes exercise. Engineers will likely rely heavily on simulation tools and the wealth of telemetry gathered from the previous year’s Monaco events to make rapid set‑up decisions.
The pressure to get the car right the first time will be immense, and any miscalculation could compromise both the Sprint and the main Grand Prix. Strategically, drivers may also need to rethink their approach to the Sprint itself.
The Sprint race, typically a 100‑kilometre dash, awards points to the top finishers and determines the grid for the Sunday race. In Monaco, where overtaking is limited, qualifying position for the Sprint becomes even more crucial. Drivers who can extract a strong lap in the single practice hour will have a better chance of starting near the front, reducing the need to take risky moves during the Sprint. Overall, Norris’s comments highlight a fundamental shift in how Monaco will be contested.
The combination of a compressed practice schedule, the introduction of a Sprint race, and the inherent difficulty of the circuit creates a scenario where drivers must balance precision with boldness. The result promises a weekend where split‑second decisions and early‑stage risk‑taking could define the outcome, delivering heightened drama for both participants and viewers alike. For fans eager to follow the action, the race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW – a service that offers flexible, contract‑free access.
The excitement generated by this new format is expected to draw even more attention to one of Formula 1’s most storied venues, reinforcing Monaco’s reputation as the ultimate test of driver skill and composure.