Formula One sprint races set to debut in Singapore, Zandvoort, and Montreal for the first time in 2026.
The world of Formula One is buzzing with anticipation as the 2026 season approaches. The season will kick off at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8, following the traditional sprint race and qualifying events held on Saturday.
The new season brings a fresh set of regulations, adding an air of uncertainty as to which teams will master the fresh generation of cars the best. Established top teams like Mercedes, despite past struggles with ground-effect cars, remain strong contenders due to their advanced development processes, simulators, and engineering resources. New entrants like Audi (joining Sauber) and Cadillac add competition, but their performance remains unproven. Customer teams like Haas expect to face challenges due to lesser resources and dependence on suppliers. Overall, bigger teams with more developed infrastructures could have an advantage under the new 2026 rules.
The sprint format, introduced in 2021, continues to grow in popularity. Sprint races offer more action each day for fans, broadcast partners, and promoters, driving increased attendance and viewership. The sprint race winners receive eight points, with one point for the driver finishing eighth.
Next season will be the sixth year of the sprint format in Formula One. The sprint season will continue with the Miami Grand Prix (May 1-3), Canadian Grand Prix (May 22-24), Silverstone Grand Prix (July 3-5), Zandvoort Grand Prix (August 21-23), and Singapore Grand Prix (October 9-11). These sprint races will join Shanghai, Miami, and Silverstone, which have staged the Saturday dashes for the past two seasons.
Formula One and the FIA have announced that Zandvoort, Singapore, and Montreal will host sprint races for the first time in 2026. This is in addition to the Chinese Grand Prix, which will mark the beginning of the 2026 sprint season on March 13-15 in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, in the current season, McLaren is dominating the charts. Oscar Piastri is leading his teammate Lando Norris by 31 points ahead of the 17th round of the 24-race season in Azerbaijan this weekend.
Interestingly, unlike F1, MotoGP incorporates a sprint race every weekend. However, F1 Sprint qualifying takes place on Friday after the first practice session. The last time the technical landscape was changed was in 2022, and Red Bull and Max Verstappen stole a march on their grid rivals during that period.
The 2026 F1 season promises to be an exciting ride, with the established teams battling it out against the new entrants, and the customer teams striving to keep up. With the popularity of the sprint races on the rise, fans can look forward to an action-packed season filled with thrilling races and unpredictable outcomes.
