F1 announces 2027 calendar with Bahrain season-opener and record Sprint count
Formula One has confirmed the 2027 calendar, with Bahrain returning as the season-opener for the first time since 2024 and Sprint weekends increasing from six to ten across the 24-round campaign.
The schedule, revealed on Wednesday in the days following the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, brings back the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimão and the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park for the first time since 2021, while the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort drops off the calendar entirely.
The announcement had been delayed well beyond F1's usual timeline, with the 2026 calendar confirmed as far back as June 2025, owing to uncertainty surrounding the conflict in the Middle East. Qatar and Abu Dhabi, both of which had been in doubt for the remainder of the current season, are retained on the 2027 schedule and will close out the year as back-to-back Sprint weekends on December 10-12.
Bahrain will host a four-day pre-season test from February 24-27 before the season gets under way on March 12-14 with a Sprint weekend, followed a week later by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Australia reverts to its familiar slot as round three in early April and will also carry a Sprint, before Japan hosts a Sprint of its own and China rounds off the opening triple-header.
Miami keeps its place in the first weekend of May, ahead of Sprint rounds in Canada and, for the first time, Monaco, where F1 said fans can expect "two thrilling qualifying sessions" around the streets of Monte Carlo. The returning Portuguese Grand Prix slots into mid-June, with a Sprint weekend at the British Grand Prix on July 2-4 and Austria shifting to the weekend after Silverstone. Belgium and Hungary run back-to-back to close out the run into the summer break.
The season resumes with a Sprint at Monza in early September after a four-week gap, with the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid following a week later. Azerbaijan, Turkey and Singapore then form a triple-header before the traditional Americas swing through Austin, Mexico City and a Sprint weekend in Brazil. Las Vegas will host the only Saturday race of the season, before Qatar and Abu Dhabi close out the championship with Sprint weekends in December.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali said the calendar brings together "some of the most iconic circuits and vibrant cities in the world, creating an incredible stage for another unforgettable season of Formula 1."
He added that the sport was "thrilled to welcome Portugal and Turkey to the championship and to expand Sprint racing to 10 events, giving our fans even more intensity, drama, and the wheel-to-wheel action that make our sport so special."
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem described the calendar as "a strong reflection of the global appeal and continued growth" of the sport, pointing to the 24 grands prix across five continents and the return of Portugal and Turkey as evidence that the championship "combines tradition, innovation, and fan engagement while maintaining the highest sporting standards."
Comments