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Everything you need to know about F1 Sprint weekends in 2026
The F1 Sprint is back for 2026 and bringing more thrills and fireworks than ever. Here’s your quick guide to what to expect from a Sprint Race weekend.
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01
What is an F1 Sprint Race?
The Sprint is a short and exciting race aimed at bringing even more entertainment to fans at the circuit and watching around the world. It consists of a 100km race – about one-third of a full Grand Prix distance – and lasts 30 minutes. To encourage overtaking and on-track action, there are eight points on offer for the winner, with the top eight drivers all scoring World Championship points. With no bonus point for the fastest lap in the Grand Prix any more, the six Sprints are the only other opportunity to score extra championship points.
There are no mandatory pit stops, and time is so tight that voluntary ones are rare, which means its all down to the drivers' skills as they battle to overtake and secure the best position.
02
The origin story
F1 Sprint races award vital points
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
The Sprint Race made its first appearance during the 2021 F1 season, with the first Sprint held at Silverstone followed by races at Monza and Interlagos. The goal was to add more competition and spectacle to the Grand Prix weekend, replacing a Free Practice session with a race. Qualifying was moved back to Friday and the finishing order in the Sprint determined the grid for Sunday.
The format was tweaked to replace another practice session with a quick quali format for the Sprint, dubbed the Shootout, and full qualifying session for Sunday’s race. The Shootout - now just called Sprint Qualifying - takes place on Friday afternoon, with the Sprint now taking place on Saturday lunchtime and full Quali restored to Saturday afternoon.
03
What happens during Sprint Qualifying?
Shanghai is one of the returning venues on the 2026 calendar
© Sona Maleterova/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Sprint Qualifying, previously known as The Shootout, features three mini-sessions, like in standard qualifying, but with shorter session times of 12 minutes (SQ1), 10 minutes (SQ2) and eight minutes (SQ3). Having shorter sessions is intended to restrict cars to one run in each session, but the potential still exists to do two runs in SQ1 and possibly SQ2, even though the timings would be very tight and dependent on the circuit. On some tracks, that will be a moot point, because cars are only allowed to use one set of tyres in each session; medium compound in SQ1 and SQ2, soft compound in SQ3.
04
How does the weekend play out?
The changes to the format mean that the F1 Sprint weekend differs from a regular Grand Prix weekend. Here’s a day-by-day guide to what you can expect to see on the track:
- Friday AM: Free Practice
- Friday PM: Sprint Qualifying
- Saturday AM: The Sprint
- Saturday PM: Qualifying
- Sunday PM: F1 Grand Prix
05
What points are up for grabs?
Eight points went the way of Lando Norris in the Miami Sprint
© James Sutton/LAT Images/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
There are eight points for the winning driver, with points awarded to the first eight finishers. With the scrapping of the bonus point for fastest lap last year, the Sprint Race is the only opportunity for drivers to score extra World Championship points outside the main races. With the impact of the new regulations being felt, the 2026 season is proving to be one of the most unpredictable in years, so drivers are going all out for maximum points on Saturday and Sunday.
Points in the Sprint Race are awarded as follows:
- P1: 8 points
- P2: 7
- P3: 6
- P4: 5
- P5: 4
- P6: 3
- P7: 2
- P8: 1
06
Where will I see an F1 Sprint?
Max Verstappen prepares to race in the Sprint at Qatar
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
There are six Sprint Race weekends during the 2026 F1 season.. The main criteria for choosing a circuit is that it must offer plenty of opportunities for overtaking, which means Austria's Red Bull Ring is frequently chosen – although not in 2026. This season sees three returning venues in Shanghai, Miami and Silverstone (albeit Silverstone has only featured once, in 2021's inaugural Sprint season), plus three new ones in the shape of Montreal, Singapore and Zandvoort in the Netherlands.
Round
Date
Grand Prix
Venue
Country
2
March 13-15, 2026
Chinese Grand Prix
Shanghai
China
6
May 1-3, 2026
Miami Grand Prix
Miami
USA
7
May 22-24, 2026
Canadian Grand Prix
Montreal
Canada
11
July 3-5, 2026
British Grand Prix
Silverstone
United Kingdom
14
August 21-23, 2026
Dutch Grand Prix
Zandvoort
Netherlands
18
October 9-11, 2026
Singapore Grand Prix
Singapore
Singapore
07
Does the Sprint have an impact on Sunday's Grand Prix?
Sprint Race finishing order doesn't determine the grid for Sunday’s main event, but it can still have a bearing, mainly if a driver picks up a late grid penalty, or if the team needs to make major repairs after a crash. In that case, the driver has to start Sunday's main race from the pitlane.
The main effect is on strategy and set-ups, as the drivers and teams only have Friday practice to understand the circuit and work out what settings and tyre strategy to use for the weekend. Much of that work falls to the reserve driver back in the simulator.
08
Who has the best record in Sprint races?
Max Verstappen is the number one Sprint winner
© Getty Images/Red Bul Content Pool
Max Verstappen has by far the best record in Sprint races to date. As of the 2026 Miami GP, he has won 13 races. From the 2026 grid, Lando Norris is the next most successful with four wins, while Oscar Piastri has three, and George Russell and Valterri Bottas have two each.
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