As the 2026 season approaches its climax, the release of next season’s Sprint calendar sparks conversations surrounding the future of the Grand Prix between audiences and fans of the sport. The younger generation makes up a large number of new fans in recent times. A large majority enjoy the shorter high-speed format of the Sprint over the longer races which, at times, lack on-track battles and overtakes.
Could Sprints replace the Grand Prix format in the near future to adapt to the needs of this new era of motorsports fans?
Is the Future of F1 in Sprint Races?
In 2021 – the year the Sprint made its debut in F1 – only three venues hosted Sprint weekends. These included Silverstone, Monza and São Paulo. The success of the format over five seasons has resulted in the number of Sprint weekends doubling.
Sprint weekends are accumulating the largest attendance and viewership within the F1 season. The 2024 Sprint weekends saw an average TV viewership increase of 10% compared to non-sprint weekends. This has prompted talks to further increase the number of Sprints in future seasons, reportedly to around 10 from 2027 onwards.
Discussions between commercial rightsholder FOM, the FIA and the 11 teams will also include suggestions to further refine the format. F1 President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali, has floated the idea of reducing the amount of practice sessions. Reverse grids are also being considered, with F1 Academy returning to this format in 2025.
Domenicali on the Success of the Sprint
The F1 President and CEO has expressed his excitement for the Sprint format ahead of its sixth season. He commends it for enabling the sport to reach new heights, with more on-track racing resulting in record audience figures:
“The F1 Sprint has continued to grow in positive impact and popularity since it was introduced in 2021. With four competitive sessions rather than two during a conventional Grand Prix weekend, F1 Sprint events offer more action each day for our fans, broadcast partners, and for the promoters – driving increased attendance and viewership.”
With Sprint weekends attracting a larger audience than non-Sprint weekends, it’s clear that the introduction of the format has assisted in the sport’s rapid rise in popularity. This is the case with both audiences and sponsors. Recently, Gatorade has become an Official Partner of F1 Sprint. This demonstrates the recognition of the scale of the event by iconic global brands.
The 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey has revealed that across all audience segments, speed and performance remain the most powerful motivators. The Sprint sees drivers push the limits, in an attempt to gain maximum results in this intense 100 kilometre dash to the chequered flag. It embodies the highest level of speed and performance, which fans in the modern era of F1 yearn for. If anything, the Sprint proves more competitive than the Grand Prix. Although less points are up for grabs, the drivers have a much shorter time period to achieve their goals. The Sprint is a direct battle of pure speed and, as declared by Domenicali, it “will represent the future” of F1.
The Rise of the Gen Z Audience
Following the end of the 2024 season, Nielsen Sports revealed that F1 now has a global fan base of 826.5 million. This sees an increase of 90 million fans in a single year.
The 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey emphasises that it’s predominantly younger fans who account for this substantial rise in the fan base, with them craving for a taste of the high-speed action.
Domenicali elaborates on the expansion of the F1 global fan base. This new audience consists of more than just the younger generation. He acknowledges that more women than ever before are engaging with the sport. There has also been a significant rise in audiences from countries outside of the UK and Europe in recent years:
“As our fan base has grown, so has the breadth of the audience with newer, younger fans as well as a rise in female followers and from markets like the U.S., India, and Southeast Asia.”
Werner Brell, CEO of Motorsport Network, adds to this, emphasising how F1 is now uniting people from different cultural backgrounds:
“Gen Z, women, and US fans are driving an always-on, connected, and culturally powerful era for F1.”
It is important to spotlight the diversification of the F1 demographic audience in the 21st century. This has led to a shift in the ways audiences consume and use F1 content to gratify their needs. Participatory culture has now entered the world of motorsport.
There is the potential for F1 to make nearly all events Sprint-based in the near future, based primarily on the wants and needs of the Gen Z audience. Many have voiced their opinions, suggesting Sunday races are too long, causing them to lose interest as a result. Domenicali recognises that a lot of fans aren’t really looking to watch the whole race anymore. Instead, they are becoming more drawn towards watching short-form content showcasing the events. This mainly consists of video highlights on social media platforms and streaming services instead.
The End of the Road for the Grand Prix?
To accommodate the “shorter attention span” of the younger fans, Domenicali has suggested tweaking the race weekend format further. This would see an increase in the number of Sprint weekends featured on the calendar. Reports state there could be 10 Sprint weekends in 2027. Fans could also see the return of reverse grids, although many do not favour this idea.
The main debate here is whether or not the number of Sprint weekends will eventually outweigh traditional Grand Prix weekends. The current data for Sprint weekend viewing numbers speaks volumes. The numbers are only going to keep increasing with the rapid growth of the sport across global markets. However, the hype around the expansion of the Sprint format doesn’t align with what many older and loyal fans want. These fans in particular have openly criticised the Sprint format for lacking strategy and skill, compared with the traditional Grand Prix.
The Grand Prix has existed for around 120 years, with the first Grand Prix of the F1 World Championship taking place at Silverstone on the 13th May 1950.
Embed from Getty ImagesDavid Murray competing in the first F1 World Championship GP at Silverstone in 1950 / Credit: LAT Images
Many considerations would need to take place if scrapping a format with so much history were to become a possibility. Certainly many fans would be left feeling displeased if this were to become a reality. It’s clear that a balance needs to be found in order for F1 to continue appealing to all demographics who follow the sport.
The F1 Drivers Have Their Say
During the Azerbaijan GP weekend, Oscar Piastri, Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly faced the broadcasters and medias’ questions. With the 2026 Sprint calendar revealed ahead of the GP weekend, all three drivers shared their views on the Sprint format. Their insights could shape whether Sprints eventually replace the Grand Prix.
Hülkenberg: Practice Sessions Still Matter
When asked about increasing the number of Sprint weekends in the future, Hülkenberg said he’s “a fan” of the format, but emphasised that practice sessions remain vital for drivers:
Embed from Getty Images“To find the right balance is not easy. We also need our practice time, and we look for perfection and ultimate performance. So there’s definitely a balance to be had, but always open for change.”
Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg and Oscar Piastri attending a press conference ahead of the F1 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit / Credit: Alexander Nemenov/AFP
As highlighted by Hülkenberg, increasing the number of Sprint events would mean a reduction in practice sessions throughout the season. The current F1 format consists of 24 race weekends, with six of these being Sprint weekends. That’s already 12 practice sessions removed from the calendar to allow for the Sprint format to occur. If in 2027 the number of Sprints were to increase to 10, this would be another eight practice sessions lost.
Practice sessions are crucial for drivers to learn or familiarise themselves with the tracks, as well as to improve their pace and performance ahead of the sessions that count most. Although not as exciting for fans, the majority of drivers hold the shared opinion that practice sessions are valuable for their weekend preparation. This is something which needs a lot of thought putting into before adapting the format.
Piastri & Gasly: No Need for More Sprints
Piastri and Gasly were asked the same question. McLaren’s Aussie driver provided his typical laid-back response, explaining.
“I think adding more Sprints is not necessarily a bad idea. I don’t think we need or want it to be every weekend.”
Piastri and other drivers have made it clear that Sprints shouldn’t occur every race weekend. They hope F1 considers their views when deciding the sport’s future. Perhaps Sprints to replace the Grand Prix may not be the right move after all.
In comparison, Gasly appeared happy for the current format to remain unchanged:
“I’d be happy to leave it as it is.”
A Lot to Consider Moving Forward
There is evidently a mix of opinions between the current drivers on the grid on the current format. How will their opinions shape the future of the sport? Will the younger fans’ needs be prioritised as they continue to dominate the F1 fan base? And finally, could Sprints soon replace the Grand Prix? Or, will the legacy of the Grand Prix live on for another 120 years?
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Feature Image Credit: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool