Formula 1 has confirmed significant alterations to its 2027 calendar, including an expansion of sprint races to ten events. The Monaco Grand Prix will host a sprint race for the first time, a notable addition given the circuit’s historical challenges for overtaking.
The 2027 season will comprise 24 races, with Portugal and Turkey rejoining the schedule. Portimão, host of the Portuguese Grand Prix, and Istanbul Park, site of the Turkish Grand Prix, will replace Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Circuit Zandvoort, respectively.
The season is set to commence in Bahrain from March 12 to 14, which will also feature a sprint race. The final event of the year, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, scheduled for December 10 to 12, will similarly include a sprint format.
Other circuits designated to host sprint races in 2027 include Australia, Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Brazil, and Qatar. This expansion marks an increase of four sprint events compared to the current season.
The inclusion of Monaco in the sprint calendar has drawn attention due to the street circuit’s narrow configuration, which has historically limited overtaking opportunities. Despite these considerations, Formula 1 management proceeded with the decision.
Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO, stated that sprint weekends typically register a 12 percent increase in television viewership. He also welcomed the return of Portugal and Turkey, emphasizing the enhanced intensity and wheel-to-wheel action for fans.
Portimão previously hosted Formula 1 Grands Prix in 2020 and 2021. These events served as temporary replacements on the calendar due to disruptions caused by the global pandemic.
Istanbul Park possesses a more extensive history in Formula 1, having hosted the Turkish Grand Prix annually from 2005 to 2011. The circuit also returned for temporary stints in both 2020 and 2021, similarly acting as a replacement during the pandemic period.
‘We are pleased to welcome Portugal and Turkey back to the championship and to expand the number of sprint races to ten. This offers our fans even more intensity, drama, and the wheel-to-wheel action that makes our sport so special,’ Domenicali stated.
The decision to integrate a sprint race into the Monaco Grand Prix weekend aims to provide additional competitive sessions throughout the event, despite the circuit’s inherent design challenges.
