F1 expands sprint calendar to 10 races for 2027 as Portugal and Turkey return

Formula 1 will expand its sprint race format to a record 10 rounds in 2027, including a controversial debut on the tight streets of Monaco, as part of a newly unveiled 24-race calendar that also brings back popular venues in Portugal and Turkey.

The decision to increase the number of Saturday sprints from six to 10 reflects commercial success and fan appetite, according to series organisers. Alongside Monaco, first-time sprint hosts in 2027 will include Bahrain, Australia, Japan, and Abu Dhabi. They join returning sprint venues in Canada, Britain, Italy, Brazil, and Qatar.

The choice of Monaco is bound to raise eyebrows. Overtaking is notoriously difficult on the narrow Monte Carlo street circuit, meaning the short Saturday race could easily become a procession. However, F1's leadership is pitching the move as a way to give fans two high-stakes qualifying sessions across the weekend. Qualifying in Monaco is widely regarded as one of the most thrilling spectacles in motorsport, and two separate sessions could shake up the starting grids for both the sprint and the main Grand Prix.

Old favourites return to the grid

The 2027 schedule also welcomes back two European circuits that last appeared as emergency stand-ins during the pandemic. Portugal's rollercoaster Portimão circuit is scheduled for 18-20 June, while the demanding Istanbul Park in Turkey will host a race on 1-3 October, subject to formal FIA circuit approval.

To make room for these returns and other changes, the calendar is undergoing some rotation. The Spanish Grand Prix moves to Madrid, meaning Barcelona is dropped from the schedule as part of a planned rotation agreement with Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps. Meanwhile, the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort has been dropped entirely after its contract expired this year.

Middle East uncertainty and calendar tweaks

The 24-race campaign is set to begin in Bahrain on 12-14 March and conclude in Abu Dhabi on 10-12 December. However, the schedule remains shadowed by ongoing geopolitical tensions. In 2026, the war in the Middle East forced the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian race and pushed the Bahrain Grand Prix to Malaysia. While F1 plans to run its four Middle Eastern fixtures as scheduled in 2027, the sport is understood to be drawing up contingency plans, just as it has done for the end of the current season.

For the paddock, there is at least some logistical relief at the tail-end of the year. Las Vegas, which previously ran back-to-back with the final double-header in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, has been decoupled. Drivers and team staff will now get a one-week breathing space after the Saturday night race in Nevada before heading to the Middle East for the season finale.

The calendar features three gruelling 'triple-headers'—three races on consecutive weekends. The field will travel from Australia to Japan and China in April; Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Singapore in the autumn; and Austin, Mexico City, and São Paulo late in the year.

'We are thrilled to welcome Portugal and Turkey back,' F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said, adding that the expanded sprint programme would bring 'even more intensity and drama' to the campaign.