Formula 1 has increased the number of sprint races from six to 10 for the 2027 World Championship.
Sprint events, which feature a shorter race on Saturday and an extra qualifying session on Friday, will be held for the first time in Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Monaco, and Abu Dhabi.
The other sprints will be in Canada, Britain, Italy, Brazil, and Qatar, it was revealed as the calendar was formally announced.
The maximum number of sprints previously in a season has been six.
The 2027 season is scheduled to start in Bahrain on 12-14 March, followed by Saudi Arabia a week later, but both events will remain in doubt while the war in the Middle East continues.
Bahrain is the default season-opening race, but Australia has hosted the first grand prix for the past two years because of the timing of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The 2026 season is due to end with two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and while F1 is planning to complete the calendar as scheduled, it is working on contingency plans if those races cannot be held as a result of the continuing conflict between the US/Israel and Iran.
The same applies for the start of next season as F1 considers its options for an alternative opening schedule if racing in the Middle East looks impossible by the end of this year.
On Sunday, a summit involving some of the nations involved in or affected by the conflict released a statement urging “maximum restraint” in the war.
The British Grand Prix will be on 2-4 July, and the 2027 season re-introduces races in Portugal and Turkey, returning for the first time since being used as placeholder events during the pandemic.
Sprint events usually come at a higher price for race organisers but they are in demand because they increase the chance of selling more tickets, with competitive action on each of the three days of the meeting rather than only Saturday and Sunday.
Silverstone believe holding a sprint this year was a large part of the reason for the British Grand Prix’s highest ever attendance – 64,000 more fans attended over the course of the four days compared with the year before, which was not a sprint.
The inclusion of a sprint event in Monaco will inevitably raise eyebrows, given it is almost impossible to overtake around the historic street circuit.
However, F1 is selling it on the fact that it means there will be two qualifying sessions at Monaco – qualifying around the demanding track is renowned as one of the highlights of the season.
Two separate qualifying sessions could also provide two different grid orders, increasing variability.
The flip side of a sprint in Monaco is that, because of the lack of overtaking opportunities, the finishing order of the sprint will be pretty much locked in once the cars have completed the first lap, barring accidents.
F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said: “We are thrilled to welcome Portugal and Turkey to the championship and to expand sprint racing to 10 events, giving our fans even more intensity, drama, and the wheel-to-wheel action that make our sport so special.”
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of F1’s governing body the FIA, said: “The 2027 FIA F1 World Championship calendar is a strong reflection of the global appeal and continued growth of our sport.
“With 24 grands prix across five continents, the return of Portugal and Turkey, and the opportunity for an expanded sprint programme, the calendar combines tradition, innovation and fan engagement while maintaining the highest sporting standards.”
Pre-season testing is also scheduled to be held in Bahrain on 24-27 February.
Culled from BBC Sport
