Formula One will increase the number of sprint races beyond the current six in 2027, CEO Stefano Domenicali said, as the sport seeks to provide more competitive action during race weekends while maintaining the format’s scarcity and commercial appeal.
Domenicali said the sprint schedule would be expanded next year, although Formula One does not intend to hold a sprint at every Grand Prix.
Our sprint format continues to drive higher Friday attendances and stronger daily attendances through our race weekend … we expect to expand the number of sprints for next year and to provide further details soon,” Domenicali told analysts after F1 owners Liberty Media published its second-quarter results.
Sprint races are shorter than the main Grand Prix, take place on Saturdays and award points to the leading drivers. Their introduction has given spectators another competitive event during the weekend and helped increase attendance on Fridays
.Domenicali said Formula One would nevertheless be careful about expanding the format too aggressively.
We want to do (it) in the right way because of course this will allow us also to make sure that the scarcity is a value. So if commercially we would go everywhere, of course that’s not anymore a value,” he said.That approach contrasts with the view of Flavio Briatore, the boss of Renault-owned Alpine, who believes Formula One should go much further
Briatore told The Race, according to Reuters, that he would put a sprint race on every race weekend because the format gives spectators more meaningful action than technical practice sessions.
I’d do it every race. Because we need to give something more to the spectator. Because we do nothing for the spectator,” Briatore said.
He argued that Friday practice offers little competitive drama for fans, while a sprint gives drivers something tangible to fight for.
With the sprint race, at least you have two races, two starts, and the driver is driving for something. He’s not driving only for the engineering,” Briatore said. “For me, 24 races, 24 sprint races.”The disagreement highlights a broader debate over the future of the Formula One weekend.
Domenicali sees limited availability as part of the sprint’s value, while Briatore believes the sport should maximise the amount of competitive action available to spectators.
Formula One’s decision to expand the format comes as the championship continues to attract strong crowds.
The sport has reported sold-out events and increased attendance on sprint weekends, reinforcing the commercial case for keeping the format.
The 2027 calendar is expected to contain 24 rounds, compared with a likely 23 in 2026, although uncertainty remains over some Middle Eastern races because of the ongoing conflict in the region.
Formula One’s second-quarter revenue fell 38% to $764 million, partly because the period contained four fewer races.
At the same time, Domenicali said the sport’s U.S. broadcasting partnership with Apple had contributed to a 13% rise in viewership and total hours watched.
The eventual 2027 sprint schedule will therefore reflect a balance between the two positions: expanding the format enough to give fans more meaningful racing, while keeping sprint events sufficiently limited to preserve their special status.
