After months of waiting, longer than usual, a result of a geopolitical backdrop that still hasn’t fully settled, Formula 1 and the FIA have officially confirmed the 2027 calendar. It’s 24 Grands Prix across 22 countries, with one major change: the Sprint programme nearly doubles, growing from six rounds to ten. But what fans are going to be talking about most in the coming days is something else entirely, who’s dropping off the calendar, and who’s stepping in to take their place.
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An Announcement That Took Longer Than Usual, and Not by Accident
To understand why this calendar was delayed, it helps to look back. Formula 1 typically confirms the following year’s calendar in June, that’s how the 2026 schedule was handled, published back in June 2025. This time, however, the news only landed in mid-September, with the 2026 season still underway. The reason: the conflict between the United States and Iran in the Middle East, which had already been hitting the 2026 calendar itself hard, forcing the outright cancellation of this year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and relocating the Bahrain race to Sepang Circuit in Malaysia, with a “Bahrain Grand Prix” label stuck onto a venue that isn’t Bahrain at all. Even now, as the 2027 calendar gets announced, this season’s final two rounds, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, remain under a question mark, with Imola standing by as a contingency plan should the region still not be deemed safe to race in.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was clear on the matter: the sport has different plans with different options already in place to guarantee 24 Grands Prix next year regardless of how things unfold in the Middle East. It’s an elegant way of saying they don’t want to get caught off guard again this time around.
The Complete 2027 Calendar
With all four Middle Eastern rounds still carrying a note of uncertainty, the 2027 season opens in Bahrain, back at its usual Sakhir venue after this year’s odd detour to Malaysia, and closes, as always, with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi double header.
| Round | Grand Prix | Circuit | Date | Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahrain | Sakhir | March 12-14 | Yes |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | Jeddah | March 19-21 | No |
| 3 | Australia | Melbourne | April 2-4 | Yes |
| 4 | Japan | Suzuka | April 9-11 | Yes |
| 5 | China | Shanghai | April 16-18 | No |
| 6 | Miami | Miami | April 30-May 2 | No |
| 7 | Canada | Montreal | May 21-23 | Yes |
| 8 | Monaco | Monte Carlo | June 4-6 | Yes |
| 9 | Portugal | Portimão | June 18-20 | No |
| 10 | Great Britain | Silverstone | July 2-4 | Yes |
| 11 | Austria | Red Bull Ring | July 9-11 | No |
| 12 | Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps | July 23-25 | No |
| 13 | Hungary | Budapest | July 30-August 1 | No |
| 14 | Italy | Monza | September 3-5 | Yes |
| 15 | Spain | Madrid (Madring) | September 10-12 | No |
| 16 | Azerbaijan | Baku | September 24-26 | No |
| 17 | Turkey | Istanbul | October 1-3 | No |
| 18 | Singapore | Marina Bay | October 8-10 | No |
| 19 | United States | Austin | October 22-24 | No |
| 20 | Mexico | Mexico City | October 29-31 | No |
| 21 | Brazil | Interlagos | November 5-7 | Yes |
| 22 | Las Vegas | Las Vegas | November 18-20 | No |
| 23 | Qatar | Lusail | December 3-5 | Yes |
| 24 | Abu Dhabi | Yas Marina | December 10-12 | Yes |
What’s Leaving, What’s Arriving: The Comparison With 2026
This is the heart of this story. Two circuits that were part of the 2026 calendar won’t feature in 2027, and two historic venues return after years away.
| Leaving the calendar (was on 2026) | Reason | Joining the calendar (new for 2027) | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch Grand Prix — Zandvoort | The circuit didn’t renew its deal beyond the 2026 edition | Portuguese Grand Prix — Portimão | Returns after last appearing in 2021 |
| Spanish Grand Prix — Barcelona-Catalunya | Enters a rotation scheme with the Belgian Grand Prix; comes back only in 2028 | Turkish Grand Prix — Istanbul | Returns after last appearing in 2021 |
| — | — | Saudi Arabian Grand Prix — Jeddah (restored) | Was entirely cancelled in 2026 due to the regional conflict; returns to its usual early-season slot |
A couple of important clarifications here. First, Madrid isn’t going anywhere, the new Madring, which debuted as the Spanish Grand Prix venue just this year in 2026, stays on the 2027 calendar unchanged, while the one actually leaving is specifically Barcelona, which raced this year under the name “Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix” alongside Madrid itself. In other words, Spain had two rounds in 2026 and will only have one in 2027. Second, Zandvoort’s exit wasn’t a total surprise, the Dutch circuit had already signalled it wasn’t going to pursue a renewal beyond this year, so this past August’s edition effectively became its farewell from Formula 1’s main calendar, at least for now.
The Other Big Change: Ten Sprints
Beyond which circuits are in and out, the other major announcement in this calendar is the jump in Sprint races, going from six to ten. Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi will host a Sprint for the first time in their history, Monaco’s case is particularly notable, since it means two separate qualifying sessions across one race weekend on the tight streets of Monte Carlo. Montreal, Silverstone, Monza, São Paulo and Lusail return as Sprint venues, just as they already were in previous years.
Formula 1 justified the expansion with concrete data: they claim total viewership across Sprint weekends runs 12% higher than conventional race weekends, that Sprint qualifying is up to three times more popular with fans than a traditional free practice session, and that 82% of attendees at a Sprint weekend feel it adds value to their ticket.
The Long Shadow of a Rocky Madrid Debut
There’s a piece of context that adds extra weight to this story, and it’s no coincidence it’s surfacing this exact week: the Madring’s own debut as the Spanish Grand Prix venue, just days ago, didn’t leave a great impression among specialist media. Several outlets have already ranked that first race among the weakest of the year in terms of spectacle, pointing out that the circuit, built in part around a fixed exhibition centre with structural limitations that are hard to solve, left exactly what modern Formula 1 needs most in short supply: real space to overtake. The fact that Madrid stays on the 2027 calendar unchanged while Zandvoort and Barcelona drop off is going to fuel the conversation about how much commercial contracts weigh today against pure on track quality when the calendar gets put together.
Drop your comment in the forum with your own ranking of this calendar’s ins and outs, and if you enjoyed the breakdown, share it on your socials, more than a few Zandvoort or Barcelona fans out there are going to want to see this.
Sources: Formula1.com, PlanetF1, Motorsport Magazine, Williams Racing, Speedcafe, News.GP
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