F1 Commission proposes shorter 2027 races and a fixed finishing-time rule
The Formula 1 Commission has discussed a package of sporting changes for 2027. The proposal would reduce the standard race distance from 305 kilometres to 290, remove the three-hour elapsed-time limit while retaining two hours of active racing, and create a fixed finishing time. Gearbox homologation would also be removed, subject to World Motor Sport Council approval.
Singapore prepares its first Formula 1 Sprint weekend for October 9-11
The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix will use the Sprint format for the first time. The Marina Bay weekend runs from October 9 to October 11 on the 4.927-kilometre circuit. Friday contains one practice and Sprint Qualifying, Saturday adds a 21-lap Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying, and Sunday's race covers 62 laps.
Sepang returns to Formula 1 as the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix venue
Formula 1 and the FIA have confirmed that the Bahrain Grand Prix will be held at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit from October 2 to October 4. The event keeps its Bahrain Grand Prix identity while moving to a track that last hosted Formula 1 in 2017. Final agreements and World Motor Sport Council approval remain part of the formal process.
Baku’s Saturday Grand Prix changes the usual Formula 1 weekend rhythm
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix uses an unusual Thursday-to-Saturday schedule. Practice takes place on Thursday, qualifying follows on Friday and the 51-lap race starts at 15:00 local time on Saturday, September 26.
Max Verstappen approaches his 250th Formula 1 start at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Max Verstappen is due to make his 250th Formula 1 start at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Baku race takes place on September 26, four days before his 29th birthday, and would make him the fifteenth driver to reach the milestone. The number describes unusual experience at a young age, but the immediate task remains a demanding street race in which preparation matters more than ceremony.
Baku’s 2026 Formula 1 schedule puts qualifying on Friday and the Grand Prix on Saturday
Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend will run from Thursday, September 24 through Saturday, September 26. Practice begins on Thursday, qualifying is scheduled for Friday and the 51-lap race starts at 15:00 local time on Saturday. None of those sessions has happened yet. The unusual programme matters because teams and viewers must move their normal preparation one day earlier, while the Baku City Circuit still presents the familiar conflict between straight-line speed and control near the barriers.
Formula 1’s 2027 calendar adds ten Sprints and returns to Portugal and Türkiye
Formula 1 has published a 24-round calendar for 2027 covering twenty-two countries and including ten Sprint weekends. Portugal returns in June and Türkiye returns in October, while Bahrain opens the championship after hosting pre-season testing. The schedule expands the Sprint format to circuits that have never used it and keeps several familiar Sprint venues. More competitive sessions may appeal to spectators, but teams will have less practice time to understand new parts and track conditions.