FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has delivered his verdict on the possibility of increasing the number of Formula 1 sprint races in the future.
The 2026 F1 sprint race calendar was announced on 16 September 2025, which will see the 100km races held at the Chinese, Miami, Canadian, British, Dutch and Singapore Grands Prix.
With the confirmation of next year’s schedule, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali hinted at an increase in sprint races. Motorsport.com understands that conversations are ongoing about introducing 10 sprint races for 2027.
Sulayem explained to Viaplay that he understands the position of Domenicali, but he is wary of the impact an increased number of sprint races would have on FIA staff.
“Commercially, I understand his position. Stefano is a good friend, we speak five times a week, but I also always consider the additional burden on our staff. They already travel a lot, and it’s very tiring to get more races,” he said.
“You also have to ask yourself if it’s good for the teams. There are multiple interests at stake. If you only focus on the sporting side, you run into commercial problems and vice versa. Both must be balanced.”
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, the rest of the field on the opening lap
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sprint race weekends hold just one practice session followed by sprint qualifying, the sprint race, qualifying for the grand prix and then the race as usual on Sunday. “I have to say that aside from some older die-hard fans, everyone wants sprint weekends,” Domenicali said ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. “Promoters push for this format and now the drivers are interested as well.
“I’m being a bit provocative, but free practice appeals to super-specialists; people who want to see more action prefer a sprint weekend. There’s more to discuss and comment on from Friday – there’s a qualifying session – but I understand it has to become part of F1 culture.
“The direction is clear: I can guarantee that in a few years there will be the demand to have all weekends with the same format. I’m not saying we’ll get to MotoGP, which has a sprint at every round – that’s too big a step. I see it more as a maturation process that respects a more traditionalist approach.”
