Six rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season carry Sprint weekends, a shortened race format designed to add extra jeopardy and points-scoring opportunities beyond the traditional Sunday Grand Prix. Here’s exactly how the format works, and which races feature it this year.
How a Sprint Weekend Works
Sprint weekends compress the on-track schedule into three days. Friday features a single practice session followed by Sprint Qualifying, which sets the grid for Saturday’s Sprint race. A separate qualifying session for Sunday’s main Grand Prix also takes place on Saturday, meaning drivers effectively qualify twice across the weekend.
Sprint Points System
- 1st place: 8 points
- 2nd place: 7 points
- 3rd place: 6 points
- Points continue down to 1 point for 8th place
Unlike the main Grand Prix, only the top eight finishers score points in a Sprint race, and no points are awarded for pole position or fastest lap in this shorter session.
2026 Sprint Weekends
China, Miami, Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Singapore all host Sprint weekends in 2026. The format has already played a role in this year’s title fight, with Kimi Antonelli’s Sprint win at Silverstone forming part of his overall points haul before a difficult Sunday at the same event, detailed in our British Grand Prix recap.
Why F1 Introduced Sprints
Formula 1 introduced the format in 2021 to boost weekend-long engagement and give fans more wheel-to-wheel racing without the risk of a driver crashing out of the main event during qualifying. It has since expanded from three to six rounds per season as the sport continues refining the concept.
Sprint results feed directly into the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings and the Constructors’ Championship explained totals, making them far more consequential than a simple exhibition race. With the Dutch Grand Prix, covered in our next Formula 1 Grand Prix guide, being one of this year’s six Sprint rounds, expect the format to shape the title fight again before the season ends.