Stefano Domenicali has a clear objective for the future of Formula 1 Grands Prix: making even the “regular” Friday free practice sessions truly relevant.
F1 is not stopping at the 2026 revolution
On one hand, there is his role as the legitimate defender of the values and decisions behind the new and revolutionary 2026 Formula 1 regulations. On the other, there is also a touch of firefighting, in response to the not-so-conciliatory remarks made by Max Verstappen at the start of the season. But that is not all.
Among the many issues on his desk, Stefano Domenicali is also outlining the direction his Formula 1 will take in the coming weeks and months. While expressing confidence that the political controversies of recent days will soon be overshadowed by the “show that certainly won’t be lacking” and by the fact that “from Melbourne onwards everyone will start focusing only on how many points they can score each race weekend,” there is also room to look ahead to the future of the Grands Prix.
Future of the Grands Prix: more Sprint weekends and beyond
Starting with the hottest topic: the number of Sprint format weekends that Formula 1 is considering increasing — something it has never made a secret of.
“Up to a maximum of 12,” Stefano Domenicali explained during a lengthy video call from the Bahrain paddock with selected news media outlets. He was keen to clarify that this does not necessarily mean 12, but that from the current six Sprint weekends we could reach an intermediate number.
“The reason why we started discussing increasing the number of Sprint races,” he added, “is because we see the response we receive from the fans, from the people who go to the circuit, from the Grand Prix organizers. Everyone wants to see more action, they want something meaningful on all three days of the race weekend.”
This demand is also pushing the sport’s governance to consider possible changes to the race weekend format, including non-Sprint events.
“People want something decisive for the weekend already on Friday, whatever that may be. So it’s true that the trend is moving toward increasing Sprint events, but also, for Grands Prix without a Sprint Race, to come up with something different. We are thinking about it. The goal is to keep every day we are on track relevant.”
“Of course, we also want to protect the rookies, both by considering more time for free practice and dedicated sessions for them to prepare in the best possible way for Formula 1. It’s clear that in a Sprint weekend, if you are a rookie, you don’t have much time to practice. It’s an issue we are addressing, and soon we will present something concrete on that front.”
What is brewing in Stefano Domenicali’s Formula 1 plans
“We are also discussing these topics with the drivers,” added the Imola-born manager. “Obviously, we care about their opinion, because they are a big part of the game. The number of Sprints in 2027? It hasn’t been decided yet. We will announce it in the coming months because every organizer would like to host one, but we want to wait and see the races. It’s a commercial opportunity that we want to seize.”
There is more in the pipeline as well.
“We scheduled three test sessions this year because we are aware of the complexity of this major regulatory change, but next year we will return to a single pre-season test before the start of the championship. We are also thinking, as we did two years ago, about another global launch event with all the teams together. It had a huge impact, almost like a 25th race in terms of worldwide media exposure. But work is still ongoing,” concluded Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
Stefano Domenicali is therefore focused on ensuring every day of an F1 weekend offers meaningful action by potentially doubling the number of Sprint races and introducing “decisive” Friday sessions, all while planning a major global season launch event to maximize the sport’s commercial and media reach.
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