Both Canada and Singapore Grand Prix will host their first sprint event on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
F1 has checked six venues for next season’s sprint race. China introduced China again on its first weekend to showcase one practice and two qualifying sessions ahead of Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Main Grand Prix. Miami also has a third consecutive year of schedule that matches the first two sprints of the past two seasons, but has since separated from events later in the season.
Canada will hold its first sprint in late May. This means consecutive sprint weekends in North America. Silverstone has previously held two races over consecutive weekends amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but only held its first sprint event in 2021.
Zandvoort’s Dutch Grand Prix will hold its first sprint, the final year of the contract, before the sixth and final sprint is held at the Singapore Grand Prix. The original night race venue has never hosted an additional race format given the difficulty of overtaking on the street circuit, but the timing ensures that Saturday’s race will take place in the sunlight.
Although no additional sprints have been added to the current total of six due to new technology regulations being introduced, racers understand that their schedule may expand in 2027. That number will have a format change that will be considered and discussed by teams and the FIA.
“The F1 Sprint has been gaining positive impact and popularity since it was introduced in 2021,” F1 President Stefano Domenicali said. “With four competitive sessions rather than two on the traditional Grand Prix weekend, the F1 Sprint event will provide more action every day for the rise in fans, broadcast partners, promoters and viewers. We are also proud to welcome Gatorade as the official partner of F1 Sprint and show great interest in the event from the iconic global brand.
“The 2026 season marks a new era of regulation, so having three new sprint venues adds to the on-orbit drama. We would like to thank the FIA, all promoters, our partners, Marshalls, volunteers and Sprint for their enormous success.
The president of FIA’s Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the driver will be involved in decision-making regarding changes to the sprint format.
“The sprint format has become an increasingly exciting part of the FIA F1 world championships, providing high-intensity racing and additional entertainment to fans around the world,” added Ben Slyem. “We look forward to the Landmark 2026 season with a new generation of cars and regulations, so we are happy to see the sprint evolve along with our broader ambitions for the sport.
“The inclusion of new venues along with returning favorites reflects the continued enthusiasm from promoters, teams and fans. We will continue to work closely with FOM, teams, authorities and drivers to ensure that the Sprint format strengthens the championship.”
The choice means that Interlagos will not have a sprint for the first time since the format was introduced, but Austin’s US Grand Prix will also return to its traditional racing weekend schedule for the first time since 2022.
This year, the schedule still features sprint weekends in Austin, Interlagos and Qatar. That is, there are three sprints in the final six rounds.
In addition to the sprint calendar, the start time for the 2026 race has been confirmed, and the Canadian Grand Prix is one focus area. Next year’s race in Montreal will be held on the same day as the Indianapolis 500 following the regionalization of the calendar, with racers understanding F1, which is actively involved with IndyCar to avoid conflicts. As a result, the Canadian Grand Prix starts at 1600 ET, creating windows for over three hours, running an Indy 500 inch (Green Flag Time 1245 ET) before the race overlaps.
