Sprint showdown 2026! FIA unleashes high octane calendar shake up

 

Imagery courtesy of Formula One via www.corp.formula1.com 

Formula One (F1) and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) announced today (16^th of September) the 2026 Sprint calendar, confirming six Sprint weekends as part of the F1 World Championship. Sprint events will take place at Shanghai, Miami, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Singapore. Continuing to enhance race weekend excitement and fan engagement, building on the success of previous Sprint formats while maintaining competitive balance as well as strategic variety across the calendar.

The F1 Sprint which Gatorade became an official partner of at the F1 Moet & Chandon Belgian Grand Prix 2025 as part of F1’s new partnership with PepsiCo providing competitive action on each day of a race weekend.

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula One, said: “With four competitive sessions rather than two during a conventional Grand Prix weekend, F1 Sprint events offer more action each day for our fans.”

Sprint qualifying on Saturday, before the weekend culminates with the Grand Prix on Sunday. The format has continued to prove popular among fans across the world leading to strong attendance and viewership figures across broadcast, digital and social platforms.

In 2024, TV viewership for Sprint weekends was on average 10% greater than non Sprint weekends and the sport continues to see an upward trend following the opening three Sprint weekends of the 2025.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, said: “The Sprint format has become an increasingly exciting part of the FIA Formula One World Championship, delivering high intensity racing and added entertainment for fans around the world.”

This year’s Sprint event in Belgium, won by Max Verstappen saw significant rise in TV viewership in both heritage and growth markets, including in Germany (+40%), France (+42%), China (+182%) and Argentina (+9%) when compared to the Sprint event in Europe in 2024.