Sacrilege? Our verdict on 2027 F1 calendar + sprint expansion

Formula 1's 2027 calendar announcement carried more anticipation than most tend to, particularly considering the uncertainty in the Middle East that may still disrupt the back end of the current season.

So while it's no real surprise to see Bahrain (at Sakhir) and Saudi Arabia back on the calendar for now, the move to incorporate 10 sprints is eyebrow-raising - as is the choice of some of those sprint-hosting venues.

Should the season opener - be it in Bahrain or Australia - really have a sprint attached? Is there any logic to a sprint race in Monaco? And do more sprints translate to more entertainment?

Here's our verdict:

Season-opening sprint is sacrilege

Scott Mitchell-Malm

I became far less baffled and annoyed by a Monaco sprint weekend when Edd Straw pointed out that it means we will get two qualifying sessions on those streets, and go piling into them with just a single practice session.

Actually, it makes me look forward to the Monaco weekend more (I am sadly largely ambivalent to Monaco nowadays). In all likelihood, Monaco's sprint will be a bad race, but so will the grand prix. Monaco's not about racing anymore, so I don't really care.

What's far more egregious is having a season-opening sprint race. It's sacrilege. All the excitement, all the build-up, all the anticipation - and we burn it on a shallow impersonation of the main event?

I'm fine with the sprints in principle, and the inevitable expansion of them for 2027, even if I wish they went further and offered something different so they had a more meaningful existence than 'it's better than watching FP3'.

But this is a desecration of one of the biggest racing moments of the year. Even a great sprint race is just a sprint race. And it will eliminate a fundamental joy of the opening grand prix because it will no longer be the first race of the year.

Why not go even further with Monaco?

Glenn Freeman

At first I couldn't look past the absurdity of deciding to have an extra race that doesn't even feature a pitstop around Monaco.

Then, when it dawned on me that it also means two qualifying sessions in Monaco, I thought, why stop there?

The sprint itself will be a waste of time. You could make it a race to the exit of the first corner, then drop the chequered flag on the run up the hill. Or if we must, then maybe do a whole lap and declare the result.

So why not bin it off entirely and have a third qualifying session?

The Friday 'sprint' quali can set the order for a one-shot showdown session that takes place on Saturday morning and pays the sprint points. If you're fastest on Friday, you get the advantage of running last on Saturday.

I'd much rather watch that - with points on the line - than a sprint procession.

More sprints doesn't solve their big problem

Edd Straw

The increase in the number of sprints has long-since been inevitable, but what's frustrating is F1 never fully committing to the potential of the format.

So far, sprints have been condensed, single-stint versions of grands prix with little individual character of their own. There have been 29 sprints so far, and I wonder how many specific ones would be remembered by a typical F1 fan in terms of the race they produced?

This underlines the fact that the sprints are disposable, snack-sized versions of the main event rather than something distinct in themselves.

The argument cited is that sprints are more interesting than FP3, and this is correct. However, the real question is whether F1 has made the most of the sprints in terms of making them have their own character, must-see viewing with their own identity and shape rather than acting as shoulder programming to the main event.

The answer lies in the need to be less conservative with the format. This doesn't mean turn it into a lottery race, or garnish it with absurd random elements just to create a story line, but consider ways to redefine the challenge. For example, why must the qualifying session be a condensed version of the existing three-segment format?

As long as the core spectacle remains completing a lap as fast as possible, there are a plethora of ways this could be made more distinct. The same applies to the race. Provided you run these on a fair and equitable basis without gimmicks that introduce random elements, it's an opportunity to create a different kind of spectacle and competitive challenge.

It's time to give the sprint elements of the weekend their own character and identity and make them must-see viewing in a way that genuinely adds to the sporting challenge and tests teams and drivers in different ways.

Sprint format could actually make Monaco chaotic

Jon Noble

When I first spotted Monaco's inclusion on the sprint schedule for 2027, my immediate reaction was it was nuts!

What benefit could there possibly be in hosting a sprint on F1's second-most difficult (hello Madring) track to overtake on?

But the more I've thought about it, the more I can see the logic in giving it a go - because it could make the entire Monaco GP weekend itself a bit bonkers.

Yes, the sprint race on Saturday is probably not going to be peak drama but the resulting shake-up to the timetable means plenty of something that F1 needs a bit more of: jeopardy.

The two practice sessions for drivers to dial themselves and their cars in prior to qualifying will be gone.

Now they have just that single practice session on Friday morning and then they are into it - shooting it out for sprint grid positions in a place where qualifying is almost everything.

There will be a lot on the line - including more championship points - in ending up first on the grid for the sprint. Then the day after they must go again.

Will those that mess it up on Friday afternoon make the same error on Saturday? Is there going to be a fascinating bit of variability between Saturday and Sunday grids?

It is often said that the best part of the Monaco GP is qualifying. Next year we are going to get it twice.

I am quite looking forward to seeing how it all plays out...