F1 2026: British Grand Prix to become Sprint event as venues announced for next year's calendar
Silverstone will return to F1's Sprint schedule for the first time in five years; F1 has confirmed there will be six Sprint weekends again in 2026; watch every session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1
Tuesday 16 September 2025 12:19, UK
Formula 1 has announced the British Grand Prix will return as a Sprint weekend host in 2026, with three other venues staging the alternative format for the first time.
China and Miami remain as Sprint venues from 2025 calendar, but the Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Singapore join the schedule for 2026.
It is the biggest shake up in Sprint locations since F1 doubled the number of Sprint weekends from three to six in 2023.
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Silverstone held the first F1 Sprint weekend in 2021 but has stuck with the traditional format in the last four seasons.
The Canadian Grand Prix, which has moved to an earlier May date, will makes its Sprint weekend debut, as will the Netherlands in the final running of that event before it drops off the calendar after 2026, and Singapore will stage the final Sprint of the season in October.
Unusually, there will be no Sprint weekends in the final six rounds of the 2026 season as the United States, Sao Paulo and Qatar races will return to the conventional F1 format after they stage Sprints later this year.
F1 has not announced any changes to the Sprint format, which it says has led to "strong fan attendances and viewership figures across broadcast, digital and social platforms" with a 10 per cent average increase for TV viewership last year compared to traditional weekends.
"The F1 Sprint has continued to grow in positive impact and popularity since it was introduced in 2021, providing extra competitive action for all our fans, broadcast partners, and for the promoters with four competitive sessions rather the conventional two during a Grand Prix weekend," said F1 president Stefano Domenicali.
"With the 2026 season set to be highly anticipated as we welcome a new era of regulations, having three new Sprint venues will only add to the drama on track. I want to thank the FIA, all the promoters, our partners, marshals, volunteers, and local sporting clubs for continuing to make the Sprint a big success and we all look forward to giving our fans more action and excitement in the 2026 season."
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: "As we look ahead to a landmark 2026 season featuring a new generation of cars and regulations, I'm pleased to see the Sprint evolving alongside our broader ambitions for the sport.
"The inclusion of new venues alongside returning favourites reflects the continued enthusiasm from promoters, teams and fans alike. We will continue to work closely with FOM, the teams, our officials, and the drivers to ensure the Sprint format enhances the championship."
What does the future hold for Sprint format?
Given F1 is undergoing arguably its biggest rules overhaul in history in 2026, with significant changes being made to the cars and engines, the Sprint format is not being altered and so will remain unchanged for the third successive season.
However, amid increased audience figures, demand from promoters and a desire to make race weekends as competitive as possible, discussions about further expanding the number of Sprints from 2027 are ongoing between the sport's key stakeholders.
It is understood that any increase would not go beyond a maximum of 12 Sprint weekends across the 24-race F1 calendar, with the exact number for 2027 to be determined at a later stage.
Talks over fresh ways to change the Sprint format, such as the potential for reverse grids, will also continue to be discussed over the forthcoming months with the FIA, teams and drivers.
How does F1's Sprint format work?
As has been the case since 2024, the race weekend begins with a single practice session on Friday afternoon before Sprint Qualifying later that day.
Saturday will then begin with the 100km Sprint contest, with full Qualifying to follow later in the day, setting the grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
The format sees cars go into parc ferme, which means no significant changes can be made to the car, when the first competitive session, Sprint Qualifying, begins, but they will then be released from the restrictions after Saturday's Sprint.
Teams will have the chance to use the knowledge they've gained to alter setups ahead of full Qualifying on Saturday afternoon, at the start of which they will once more be locked in for Sunday's race.
Formula 1 heads to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
