Formula 1 Goes Bigger in 2027 as Record 10 Sprint Weekends Join 24-Race Calendar

Formula 1 isn’t slowing down.

If anything, 2027 is going to ask even more from the drivers, teams and fans.

The championship officially revealed its calendar for next season, confirming another 24-race campaign but with one major change that immediately stands out: there will be 10 Sprint weekends.

That’s a record for Formula 1.

And perhaps the most interesting name on that Sprint list is Monaco.

Yes, Monaco.

The narrow streets, the barriers sitting inches away from the cars and one of the most famous circuits in motorsport will host a Formula 1 Sprint for the first time.

That means fans will get competitive action much earlier in the Monaco weekend instead of waiting for the traditional qualifying and Grand Prix sessions. Reuters reports that Monaco is one of five circuits making its Sprint debut in 2027, alongside Bahrain, Australia, Japan and Abu Dhabi.

It will probably create plenty of debate too.

Overtaking in Monaco has never been easy, especially with modern Formula 1 cars. That’s part of what makes adding another race there so interesting. More competitive laps doesn’t automatically mean more overtaking, but it certainly adds another opportunity for something unexpected to happen.

The season itself is scheduled to begin in Bahrain on March 14, before Formula 1 moves to Saudi Arabia and then Australia.

There are also some familiar names returning.

Portugal and Turkey are back on the Formula 1 calendar, while Zandvoort and Barcelona are no longer part of the 24-round schedule.

For fans, though, the expansion of Sprint racing might be the biggest story.

Formula 1 introduced the Sprint format in 2021. What started as an experiment on a handful of weekends has gradually become a much larger part of the championship.

Now we’re talking about ten.

That changes the rhythm of nearly half the season.

On a normal Grand Prix weekend, Friday gives teams valuable practice time to understand the car and circuit. A Sprint weekend gives them much less room to figure things out before competitive sessions begin.

Make a mistake with the setup and suddenly you’re chasing the weekend.

Get it right immediately and there are extra championship points sitting there waiting.

Formula 1 says Sprint weekends have also delivered stronger audience engagement, which helps explain why the championship continues expanding the format.

And 2027 won’t exactly ease everyone into it.

Bahrain is both the season opener and a Sprint weekend.

So after months without racing, teams will arrive for the first weekend of a new championship and immediately have points available before Sunday’s Grand Prix.

From there comes a long journey through 24 races before the championship eventually reaches its finale in Abu Dhabi.

Ten Sprint weekends.

Twenty-four Grands Prix.

Portugal and Turkey returning.

A Monaco Sprint for the first time.

Whatever anyone thinks about the Sprint format, Formula 1 has made one thing pretty clear with its 2027 calendar:

There is going to be a lot more racing.