F1 says MORE Sprint races are coming, whether you like it or not

Stefano Domenicali, generic, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 says MORE Sprint races are coming, whether you like it or not

There WILL be an expansion from 2027 onwards

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Thursday 6 August 2026 21:44

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F1 is planning to stage even more Sprint races from 2027 onwards, whether you like it or not.

The 100km race format - much maligned by many fans (and some drivers) - has gradually taken an increased presence in weekends during the season since its inception at Silverstone in 2021.

Since 2023 there have been six races each weekend with Sprint Qualifying taking place on Friday afternoon and the Sprint proper on Saturday.

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Domenicali confirms F1 Sprint race expansion plan

Now things are about to go up another level, with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirming the news on Liberty Media's H2 Earnings call on Thursday.

The 61-year-old Italian told media: “Our Sprint format continues to drive higher Friday attendances and stronger daily attendances throughout the race weekend. The success of the Sprint format continues to drive growing interest from promoters.

“We expect to expand the number of Sprint races next year and to provide further details soon.”

'Fans are loving the season' claims F1 boss

Domenicali raved about the interest in F1 in 2026, claiming fans are 'loving the season' despite all that adverse publicity surrounding those controversial new regulations.

To underpin his comments, he referenced the 3.3million fans who have watched races at the track and the 10 sellouts to start the season through the recent Belgian Grand Prix.

Domenicali also called out the incredible 564,000 three-day attendance for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone - the highest ever in the sport's history.

How many Sprints will we get in 2027?

The exact number of Sprint races for 2027 is of course yet to be confirmed, but recently Alpine chief Flavio Briatore claimed he would stage one for every Grand Prix weekend.

He explained: "After Saturday in the morning, after you have the qualifying and that's finito, you have the race.

"With the Sprint race, at least you have two races, two starters, and the driver is driving for something. He's not driving only for the engineering. For me, 24 races, 24 Sprint races."

Briatore's comments, and Domenicali's statement on Thursday, are unlikely to go down well with a good portion of F1's fanbase, particularly hardcore observers.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen is a high-profile critic, earlier this year describing Sprints as "unnecessary" and "boring".

Max Verstappen is not a fan of the Sprint format.

There are two of the six Sprint races remaining in 2026, currently scheduled for the Dutch Grand Prix later this month and the Singapore Grand Prix in October.

While Sprints are seen as gimmicks by many of those legacy fans, they do factor into the title races for both Drivers and Constructors. The top eight positions score points from eight down to one.

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F1 Stefano Domenicali