Zandvoort and Singapore to host F1 sprints for 1st time in ’26

The Canadian, Dutch and Singapore Grands Prix will become Formula One sprint weekends for the first time next season on a list of six hosts announced by the sport on Tuesday.

The three venues join Shanghai, Miami and Silverstone for a format which sees a 100km race on Saturday, paying points to the top eight finishers, before the main grand prix is held on Sunday.

Shanghai and Miami will be sprint hosts for a third successive year while the British Grand Prix at Silverstone last hosted one in 2021, the season when sprints were introduced.

Brazil’s Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, which has been a sprint weekend since 2021, reverts to the traditional format as do this year’s other sprints in Belgium, the US Grand Prix in Austin and Qatar.

Dutch Grand Prix venue Zandvoort, a home race for Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen, is due to drop off the calendar after next year and the sprint element had already been announced.

Singapore’s inclusion is a surprise, with the night race offering few overtaking opportunities on the city streets.

“The F1 Sprint has continued to grow in positive impact and popularity since it was introduced in 2021,” said Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali in a statement.

“With four competitive sessions rather than two during a conventional Grand Prix weekend, F1 Sprint events offer more action each day for our fans, broadcast partners and for the promoters -- driving increased attendance and viewership.

“The 2026 season will usher in a new era of regulations, so having three new Sprint venues will only add to the drama on track.”

Formula One said television viewership for sprint weekends, which feature qualifying on Friday instead of a second practice session, in 2024 was on average 10% greater than those without the Saturday race.

It added that the first three sprint weekends of 2025 had continued the upward trend, with Lewis Hamilton’s Saturday victory for Ferrari in Shanghai producing an 84% live TV audience increase across the 15 top markets.

Some 26.6 million television viewers watched McLaren’s Lando Norris win the Miami Grand Prix sprint, 18% more than the 2024 figure.

Verstappen’s sprint win for Red Bull in Belgium drew a significantly higher audience compared to the 2024 European event, with China up 182%.

Reuters