Formula 1 is looking to attract more fans throughout the weekend: an increase in Sprint races from 2027 is being prepared, with fewer free practice sessions.
The Sprint format during an F1 weekend continues to convince insiders. According to Motorsport.com, Liberty Media is considering expanding the number of short races, reaching around ten starting in 2027. The format, introduced in 2021, has seen a steady increase over time, becoming an ever more frequent fixture on the calendar.
For promoters, the Sprint represents an added value for ticket sales, even if not always obvious. According to Bobby Epstein, co-founder of the American circuit in Austin, the inclusion of a Saturday Sprint race does not translate into more ticket sales, but it increases the ticket’s value. Epstein adds that the maximum entertainment possible across the weekend remains the real goal, with people staying longer at the track.
F1 following MotoGP’s path, but not with Sprint weekends everywhere
Moving to Florida, where the Miami Grand Prix already hosted this format this year, encouraging results have already been seen. On this subject, Tyler Epp, president of the Miami GP, admitted to having changed his mind about the format, with the numbers showing an increasingly higher attendance on Saturdays.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirms the path being taken. In his words, it is clear that apart from a few old-school fans, everyone is in favor of Sprint weekends, including the drivers, with the guarantee that in the coming years there will be more and more weekends applying to host this format.
This, however, rules out a MotoGP-style format, where Sprint races are present at every round, with Domenicali speaking “of a process of maturation that respects a more traditionalist approach.”
For 2026, the maximum number will still remain at six, but nothing excludes that in 2027 this could increase to as many as ten, with negotiations between FOM, FIA, and the teams already well underway.
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