Formula One has announced six sprint races for 2026, including all-new locations for the format in Canada, the Netherlands and Singapore.
China and Miami will retain sprint races next year, while Silverstone will host its first sprint weekend since the format was introduced in 2021.
Sprint weekends feature an additional 100km race on the Saturday of the event as well as an additional qualifying session on the Friday to set the grid for the sprint race.
The number of practice sessions is reduced from three one-hour sessions to a single one-hour session, while the format for qualifying and the grand prix remain the same.
The addition of sprint races in Canada, Singapore, the Netherlands and Great Britain means the removal of the format from the race weekends in Belgium, Austin, Brazil and Qatar next year.
2026 Sprint races
13-15 March – Chinese GP
1-3 May – Miami GP
22-24 May – Canadian GP
3-5 July – British GP
21-23 August – Dutch GP
9-11 October – Singapore GP
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali recently spoke about increasing the amount of sprint races per season and tweaking the format for more exciting races.
“There’s a topic on the table concerning the format we’ll use in the coming years, starting with sprint weekends,” Domenicali told Autosport at the Dutch Grand Prix.
“We need to understand whether to increase them, how to increase them, and whether to use different formats. We have several discussions to have with the teams to decide the direction.”
Due to major regulation changes in 2026 the number of sprint races will remain at six, but sources have said discussions are underway to hold as many as 12 in 2027.
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Changes to the format of the sprint races are also set to be discussed, including the possible introduction of reverse grids, although similar proposals have failed to gain the support of teams and drivers in the past.
F1 claims sprint weekends result in a 10% uptick in TV viewership compared to normal race weekends with three practice sessions.
The sprint weekend at next year’s Dutch Grand Prix will be the final event at Zandvoort for the foreseeable future after the circuit opted against renewing its race contract with the sport beyond 2026.
The Singapore sprint is expected to be a twilight race on the Saturday ahead of the usual night-time qualifying session.
F1 will introduce new regulations next year based on a power unit that derives half its power from a battery while the other half is provided by sustainable fuel.
