Formula 1 and the FIA have announced the six venues that will host the Sprint race events in the 2026 racing season. It will be a year of major changes for the category, with the introduction of the new technical regulations and the arrival of the sixth season for the format introduced in 2021.
The first appointment with the 2026 Sprint will be held in Shanghai, followed by Miami: both tracks will host a weekend with this format for the third consecutive year. The most anticipated return is that of Silverstone, which has not seen a Sprint since 2021, the inaugural year of the formula. Completing the picture will be three absolute novelties: Montreal, Zandvoort, and Singapore, which will enter the Sprint calendar for the first time.
| DATE | GP | CITY |
|---|---|---|
| March 13-15 | China | Shanghai |
| May 01-03 | Miami | Miami |
| May 22-24 | Canada | Montreal |
| July 03-05 | Great Britain | Silverstone |
| August 21-23 | Netherlands | Zandvoort |
| October 09-11 | Singapore | Singapore |
The format, supported since 2024 by the partnership with Gatorade (a PepsiCo brand), continues to record significant success. With four competitive sessions instead of two, the Sprint weekend includes: free practice and Sprint qualifying on Friday, Sprint race and GP qualifying on Saturday, and the traditional Sunday race. A formula that has won over more and more fans, attracting large numbers of spectators at the track and in front of screens.
The data supporting the popularity of the format is clear: in 2024, the television audience for Sprint weekends was on average 10% higher than traditional GPs. The effect was also seen in 2025: Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the Shanghai Sprint with Ferrari recorded an 84% increase in audience across the 15 main markets, while Lando Norris’s victory in Miami was followed by 26.6 million viewers, an 18% increase compared to the previous year. Even in Belgium, where Max Verstappen triumphed, the figures grew significantly in key markets such as Germany (+40%), France (+42%), China (+182%), and Argentina (+9%).