Formula 1 will increase the number of Sprint races from the 2027 season, with Stefano Domenicali confirming that the shorter Saturday format will feature at more Grand Prix weekends than it does currently. The exact total will be revealed alongside the 2027 calendar, but the Formula 1 CEO has already made clear that the expansion will continue beyond next season.
The move reflects the commercial success Formula 1 believes the Sprint format has delivered. Sprint weekends generate an additional competitive session on Saturday and have been associated with stronger attendance and greater revenue opportunities for race promoters, encouraging more circuits to pursue the format.
F1 Sprint races will increase from 2027
Domenicali confirmed that Formula 1 intends to raise the number of Sprint events next year, although the final figure will not be announced until the championship presents its schedule. Formula 1 is expected to reveal the initial 2027 F1 calendar separately, meaning the full distribution of Sprint weekends is still to come.
As reported by The Race, Stefano Domenicali explained that the commercial logic behind the expansion is straightforward. Formula 1 sees Sprint weekends as an opportunity to generate additional revenue streams and believes those possibilities can be exploited more extensively.
Circuits also have an incentive to host the alternative weekend format because the additional competitive action can help attract spectators across more days of a Grand Prix event. Several countries are prepared to invest in Sprint weekends, while Monza has already secured the format for three seasons beginning next year.
Formula 1 will not introduce Sprints at every Grand Prix
Despite the planned expansion, Formula 1 does not intend to follow the MotoGP model by holding a Sprint at every round of the championship. Domenicali believes making the format universal would undermine part of the commercial value that comes from keeping Sprint weekends relatively distinctive.
The objective is therefore to increase their presence without turning every Grand Prix into the same format. Domenicali indicated that Formula 1 expects the number to rise considerably over time, while expressing complete confidence that the first step in that expansion will already take place in 2027.
That creates a deliberate distinction between the traditional Grand Prix structure and weekends featuring an additional Saturday race. Rather than replacing the standard format across the championship, Formula 1 intends to use Sprints more frequently while maintaining scarcity as part of their appeal.
Monza becomes part of Formula 1’s Sprint expansion
Monza is already positioned to benefit from the strategy. The Italian circuit is set to host the Sprint format for three years from next season, making the home of the Italian Grand Prix one of the venues committed to Formula 1’s expanded approach.
The change also comes as the championship continues to refine the structure of its wider schedule. The current Formula 1 calendar provides the existing framework, but the balance between conventional race weekends and Sprint events is set to shift once the 2027 season begins.
For Formula 1, the direction is now established even if the final numbers are not. More Sprint weekends will appear in 2027, further growth is planned for subsequent seasons, and commercial considerations remain central to that strategy. What Stefano Domenicali has ruled out, however, is an expansion so extensive that the Sprint becomes a feature of every Grand Prix weekend.
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