FIA confirms the 2026 F1 Sprint calendar with six venues, debut Sprints in Montréal, Zandvoort and Singapore, plus returns for Shanghai, Miami and Silverstone.
Formula 1 and the FIA have confirmed six Sprint races for 2026. The 2026 F1 Sprint calendar brings new debuts and returning hosts as the format enters its sixth season alongside fresh regulations and a major reset.
2026 F1 Sprint calendar: venues at a glance
- Shanghai (13–15 March) – season opener
- Miami (1–3 May) – US staple continues
- Montréal (22–24 May) – first Sprint in Canada
- Silverstone (3–5 July) – Sprint returns to where it began
- Zandvoort (21–23 August) – debut before Dutch GP bows out
- Singapore (9–11 October) – first Sprint under the lights
Shanghai – season opener for the Sprint
The first Sprint of the year lands in Shanghai (13–15 March). China has become a reliable launch pad for the format and will once again set the tone for the season.
Miami – US staple continues
Two months later, Miami (1–3 May) returns as the US standard bearer. This will be its third straight Sprint, building on the huge crowds and commercial pull of the Florida round.
Montréal – first-ever Sprint in Canada
The first newcomer arrives just weeks later. Montréal (22–24 May) will stage its first ever Sprint at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Known for unpredictable grands prix, the event now comes with a calendar shift too. It means back-to-back Sprint weekends for the teams.
Silverstone – Sprint returns to where it began
From there the format heads back to its roots. Silverstone (3–5 July) was the stage for the very first Sprint in 2021. The British Grand Prix now welcomes it back. That ties in with changes made to roving grandstands at the circuit, updates that had been hotly debated among fans ahead of general sale.
Zandvoort – debut before Dutch GP bows out
In August another debut arrives. Zandvoort (21–23 August) steps up, a natural choice given its orange-soaked atmosphere and Verstappen-powered fanbase. But it comes as a finale too, with the Dutch Grand Prix bowing out of the calendar after 2026.
Singapore – first Sprint under the lights
Finally, the year closes with a new Asian night-time chapter. Singapore (9–11 October) joins the Sprint club for the first time. The tight Marina Bay layout, already known for first-corner chaos, will now get the intensity of a Sprint weekend under the lights.
What’s changed from 2025
Compared with 2025, four venues drop off and three debut on the 2026 F1 Sprint calendar, with Silverstone returning.
In 2025 the Sprint calendar looked different. Shanghai and Miami opened the year, but Spa-Francorchamps, Austin, São Paulo and Lusail made up the rest. That gave Europe, the Americas and the Middle East a share of Sprint weekends.
For 2026, Spa, Austin, Brazil and Qatar drop away. In their place come Montréal, Zandvoort and Singapore as first-time hosts, with Silverstone rejoining after a long gap. It marks a clear shift in how Formula 1 is choosing to spread the format.
Why the Sprint format matters in 2026
The F1 Sprint format 2026 remains unchanged.
It guarantees action across all three days. Friday brings Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying. Saturday carries the Sprint itself and then Grand Prix Qualifying. Sunday closes the weekend with the main race.
That structure has proven valuable. Fans in the stands see meaningful sessions every day. Broadcasters get more live racing to sell. And the sport itself benefits from stronger weekend numbers.
Despite some public opposition, the format works for the parties involved. That is why F1 is pushing to expand it further for 2027. With the new Concorde Agreement close to being finalised, it will be worth watching to see if the sport gets its wish for more Sprint weekends in the next cycle.
The numbers behind F1’s Sprint expansion
The FIA didn’t make the 2026 picks blindly. The data is hard to argue with.
In 2024, Sprint weekends pulled in audiences around 10% higher than standard grands prix. That gap only widened into 2025.
Take Shanghai. When Lewis Hamilton grabbed his first Ferrari win in the Sprint, the governing body said live TV audiences across F1’s top 15 markets were up 84% compared with the year before. An enormous jump.
Over in Miami, Lando Norris’ Sprint victory drew 26.6 million viewers worldwide. That’s an 18% increase on the 2024 edition, proof that the Florida event continues to punch above its weight commercially.
Even at Spa-Francorchamps, one of the sport’s heritage rounds, the format moved numbers. Max Verstappen’s Sprint win there coincided with spikes across broadcast markets: Germany up 40%, France up 42%, China soaring 182%, and Argentina climbing 9%.
For promoters and sponsors, those figures do the talking. They show why the format is being kept, and why expansion is firmly on the table.
The commercial side has momentum too. With Gatorade stepping in as official Sprint partner under Formula 1’s new PepsiCo agreement, Sprint weekends have become prime territory for consumer brands. Doritos and Sting are part of that same package. You can read my full breakdown of the PepsiCo–Formula 1 partnership here.
Official quotes from FIA and Formula 1
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem positioned the Sprint as a pillar of the 2026 reset, saying the format “has become an increasingly exciting part of the FIA Formula One World Championship, delivering high-intensity racing and added entertainment for fans around the world.”
He stressed that with a new generation of cars and regulations coming in, the Sprint is evolving alongside the sport’s broader ambitions. Adding new venues while keeping familiar ones, he said, reflects the appetite from promoters, teams and fans.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali put the spotlight on the commercial and entertainment gains. Since 2021, he said, the Sprint has added two extra competitive sessions compared with a conventional weekend, which has driven both attendance and viewership.
He also flagged the PepsiCo deal as a milestone, noting that Gatorade becoming an official Sprint partner is a sign of how much weight the format now carries with global brands.
Sources: FIA press communication; Formula 1 statements.
2026 F1 Sprint FAQs
Which races are Sprints in F1 2026?
Shanghai, Miami, Montréal, Silverstone, Zandvoort and Singapore will host the six F1 Sprint weekends in 2026.
What’s new in the 2026 Sprint calendar?
Montréal, Zandvoort and Singapore stage Sprints for the first time, while Silverstone returns after last hosting in 2021.
Which 2025 Sprint venues drop off?
Spa-Francorchamps, Austin, São Paulo and Lusail were Sprint hosts in 2025 but do not feature in 2026.
Does the Sprint format change in 2026?
No. Fridays still carry FP1 and Sprint Qualifying, Saturdays host the Sprint and Grand Prix Qualifying, and Sunday closes with the Grand Prix.
Full 2026 F1 start times (by event)
Alongside the Sprint news, the FIA also published the official start times for every race in 2026.
- Australia (8 March) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- China (15 March) – Sprint 11:00, Qualifying 15:00, Race 15:00
- Japan (29 March) – Qualifying 15:00, Race 14:00
- Bahrain (12 April) – Qualifying 19:00, Race 18:00
- Saudi Arabia (19 April) – Qualifying 20:00, Race 20:00
- Miami (3 May) – Sprint 12:00, Qualifying 16:00, Race 16:00
- Canada (24 May) – Sprint 12:00, Qualifying 16:00, Race 16:00
- Monaco (7 June) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Barcelona (14 June) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Austria (28 June) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Great Britain (5 July) – Sprint 12:00, Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Belgium (19 July) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Hungary (26 July) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Netherlands (23 August) – Sprint 12:00, Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Italy (6 September) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Spain (13 September) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Azerbaijan (26 September) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Singapore (11 October) – Sprint 17:00, Qualifying 21:00, Race 20:00
- United States (25 October) – Qualifying 16:00, Race 15:00
- Mexico (1 November) – Qualifying 15:00, Race 14:00
- Brazil (8 November) – Qualifying 15:00, Race 14:00
- Las Vegas (21 November) – Qualifying 20:00, Race 20:00
- Qatar (29 November) – Qualifying 21:00, Race 19:00
- Abu Dhabi (6 December) – Qualifying 18:00, Race 17:00
All times listed are local to the host venue.
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