Monaco will host a Formula One sprint for the first time in 2027 as the championship expands the format to a record 10 weekends.
Formula One and the FIA announced the 24-race calendar on Wednesday. The schedule also includes the return of Portugal and Turkey, while Zandvoort and Barcelona leave the calendar.
The season will begin at Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit on March 14. Drivers will test at the same venue from February 24 to 27. Saudi Arabia will host the second race in Jeddah on March 21.
Why Monaco is getting a sprint
Monaco’s addition stands out because the circuit offers very few overtaking opportunities.
The tight streets around the principality make passing difficult. Qualifying often plays a major role because starting position can strongly affect the race.
The sprint format will change the usual weekend schedule. Formula One will replace Friday’s second practice session with sprint qualifying.
Fans will therefore get two qualifying sessions, a Saturday sprint and Sunday’s main race.
A driver who wins the sprint earns eight points. Winning both the sprint and the grand prix would give a driver 33 points across the weekend.
Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali said in August that the series would increase the number of sprint events because many circuits wanted to host them.
“We are thrilled to welcome Portugal and Turkey to the championship and to expand sprint racing to 10 events, giving our fans even more intensity, drama and the wheel-to-wheel action that makes our sport so special,” said Domenicali.
Record number of sprint weekends
Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi will stage their first sprint weekends in 2027.
Canada, Britain, Italy, Brazil and Qatar will return to the format.
Formula One said its data showed that sprint weekends attracted 12 per cent more total viewership than non-sprint weekends. It also said qualifying was three times more popular with fans than free practice.
The 2027 season will feature three triple-headers. Australia, Japan and China will race on successive weekends in April.
Azerbaijan, Turkey and Singapore will form another triple-header in September and October. Austin, Mexico and Brazil will make up the third.
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