Monaco to become one of a record 10 F1 sprint weekends in 2027

Monaco's tight and twisty ‌streets will host a Formula One sprint for the first time next ⁠season with a record 10 race weekends, including the scheduled opener in Bahrain, featuring the format on a 24-round ⁠calendar published on Wednesday.

The championship will start at the Sakhir circuit on 14 March, after testing in the Gulf kingdom from 24-27 February, with Saudi Arabia the second round on 21 March, Formula One and the governing FIA said.

Portugal (June 20) and Turkey (October 3) are additions with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort and ‌Barcelona having dropped off.

There were no asterisks against the four races in the Gulf but they will remain uncertain for as long as the current conflict in the region continues.

Saudi Arabia's race in Jeddah was cancelled this year while Bahrain's has been rescheduled to Malaysia's Sepang circuit next ‌month.

Sprint means two qualifying sessions in Monaco

The inclusion of a Monaco sprint race will surprise some, given that overtaking is almost impossible around the principality's harbourside layout.

Qualifying is usually the most exciting point of the Monaco weekend, with the race often a procession and won from pole position, and Formula One highlighted the fact that spectators would now get two qualifying sessions as well as the ‌showcase Grand Prix on Sunday.

Replacing Friday's ⁠second practice session with sprint qualifying should increase the excitement on the first day of track action but it will also give drivers significantly less time to work their way into the weekend at a particularly unforgiving track.

A Saturday sprint victory is worth eight points to the winner, meaning a driver can come away from the weekend with a maximum of 33 rather than the usual 25 if he wins both.

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