F1 will feature a record 10 sprint races in 2027. Image: XPB Images
The number represents another significant expansion of a concept that began with just three events in 2021 and has become an increasingly prominent part of the calendar.
Three sprints were again held in 2022 before the number doubled to six in 2023, where it remained through the end of 2026.
That will change next season, with almost 42 percent of the 24-round calendar set to feature a sprint.
Australia, Bahrain, Japan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi will all host one for the first time, while Montreal and Silverstone retain their place on the sprint schedule.
Monza, Sao Paulo and Qatar will also return to the format, with China, Miami and Singapore dropping out after hosting sprints in 2026.
For F1, the continued expansion reflects what it believes has become a proven success.
The championship claims overall viewing figures for sprint weekends are 12 percent higher than for conventional events, while F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali has repeatedly argued the format provides fans with more meaningful track action.
“If you remember in the beginning, people were always sceptical of what we’re doing, and I think that we have the duty to be, in a way, brave and to think out of the box,” Domenicali said in July.
“I think you see the effect. With the [150,000] people we had on Friday at Silverstone, if you don’t give something that has an action it would be wrong.”
Australia scores sprint race as 2027 F1 calendar revealed
Sprint weekends reduce practice from three sessions to one, with sprint qualifying taking place on Friday before the 100km race on Saturday.
Grand prix qualifying then follows later on Saturday ahead of the main race on Sunday.
That structure gives every day a competitive session and places greater pressure on teams and drivers to find the right set-up almost immediately.
But expanding the concept to 10 races also raises the question of when more becomes too much.
What began as something different at only a handful of grands prix will now feature at almost half of all race weekends, potentially making the sprint feel less like a special addition to the calendar.
The choice of venues has also reopened debate about where the format works best.
Monaco is perhaps the most intriguing addition for 2027.
Overtaking around the streets of Monte Carlo has traditionally been extremely difficult in modern F1 machinery, raising obvious questions about how much action a shorter race can realistically produce.
However, Monaco also places greater emphasis on qualifying than almost anywhere else on the calendar.
With track position so important, adding sprint qualifying means fans will effectively get two competitive qualifying sessions across the weekend at one of the championship’s most demanding circuits.
Australia will provide another new test as Albert Park hosts its first sprint, while established venues such as Silverstone and Sao Paulo continue to demonstrate F1’s willingness to use the format at some of its biggest events.
The debate is therefore no longer simply about whether sprint racing belongs in Formula 1.
After seven seasons, it has become an established part of the championship.
The bigger question is how frequently it should appear.
Three weekends made sprints an occasional novelty, while six created a regular presence without dominating the calendar.
Ten will take that expansion to another level in 2027.
So in this week’s Michelin Poll we’re asking: what’s the right number of F1 sprint races?