F1 Sprint Explained: Sprint Qualifying, Points and Race Times
An F1 sprint is a short Saturday race of about 100 km that pays points to the top eight. It replaces the normal Friday and Saturday schedule on selected weekends. There were six sprint weekends in 2026, and the calendar announced for 2027 has 10.
Last updated: November 18, 2026
What is an F1 sprint?
The sprint is a second, shorter race held on the Saturday of a sprint weekend. The FIA calls these weekends “Alternative Format Competitions”; a normal weekend is a “Standard Format Competition.” The rules below come from the FIA 2026 Sporting Regulations, Section B (Issue 09) and Section A (Issue 03).
How does an F1 sprint weekend work?
| Day | Sessions | What it decides |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Friday) | One free practice session of one hour, then Sprint Qualifying | Sprint Qualifying sets the grid for the sprint |
| Day 2 (Saturday) | The Sprint, then Qualifying three to four hours later | The sprint pays points; Qualifying sets the grid for the Grand Prix |
| Day 3 (Sunday) | The Grand Prix | The main race |
That is four sessions that matter instead of the usual two (qualifying and the race), plus one practice session instead of three. Sprint Qualifying starts between two and a half and three and a half hours after practice ends (Article B2.2.1), and Qualifying for the race starts between three and four hours after the sprint ends (B2.4.1). For how normal qualifying works, see our guide to F1 qualifying.
How does Sprint Qualifying work?
Sprint Qualifying has three knockout parts, with seven-minute breaks between them (Article B2.2.2):
| Part | Length | Who is eliminated |
|---|---|---|
| SQ1 | 12 minutes | The slowest six cars; 16 go through |
| SQ2 | 10 minutes | The slowest six of the 16; 10 go through |
| SQ3 | 8 minutes | None; sets the top 10 of the sprint grid |
That is for a 22-car field. With 20 cars, five are eliminated in each of the first two parts. Tires are limited too: each driver may use one new set of the medium specification in SQ1 and in SQ2, and one set of the soft specification in SQ3 (Article B6.3). Wet and intermediate tires are exceptions.
How long is an F1 sprint?
The sprint covers the smallest number of complete laps that exceeds 100 km (Article B2.3.2). If the formation lap starts behind the Safety Car, the number of laps is reduced. A sprint is stopped after one hour from the start, or 1.5 hours at most if it is suspended (B2.3.3). A driver who covers less than 90% of the winner’s laps, rounded down, is not classified (B2.3.4). The 100 km distance is roughly a third of a Grand Prix; see how long an F1 race is.
How many points does an F1 sprint pay?
The top eight score: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points (Article A2.2.2). To score, a driver must have completed at least 50% of the sprint distance; if not, no points are awarded. A driver can therefore score at most 33 points on a sprint weekend: 8 for the sprint and 25 for the Grand Prix. Our F1 points guide has the full table.
Which races had a sprint in 2026?
Williams published the 2026 sprint calendar. All six sprint weekends are finished, and the last was Singapore.
| Dates | Grand Prix | Circuit |
|---|---|---|
| March 13 to 15 | China | Shanghai |
| May 1 to 3 | Miami | Miami |
| May 22 to 24 | Canada | Montreal |
| July 3 to 5 | Great Britain | Silverstone |
| August 21 to 23 | Netherlands | Zandvoort |
| October 9 to 11 | Singapore | Singapore |
The last three races of 2026, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, are standard weekends with no sprint. See the F1 schedule 2026 for the times.
How many sprints will there be in 2027?
McLaren and Formula 1 announced the 2027 calendar on September 16, 2026. It has 24 Grands Prix and 10 sprint weekends, up from six in 2026:
| Dates | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| March 12 to 14 | Bahrain |
| April 2 to 4 | Australia |
| April 9 to 11 | Japan |
| May 21 to 23 | Canada |
| June 4 to 6 | Monaco |
| July 2 to 4 | Great Britain |
| September 3 to 5 | Italy |
| November 5 to 7 | Brazil (São Paulo) |
| December 3 to 5 | Qatar |
| December 10 to 12 | Abu Dhabi |
None of the U.S. races is a sprint weekend on the announced list. For every 2027 date, see our 2027 calendar guide.
F1 sprint: frequently asked questions
8 points. The top eight score, from 8 for first down to 1 for eighth.
The smallest number of complete laps that exceeds 100 km, with a maximum of one hour from the start (up to 1.5 hours if the sprint is suspended).
By Sprint Qualifying, a three-part knockout session on the first day of the weekend.
Six in 2026 (all finished) and 10 on the calendar announced for 2027.
No. All six 2026 sprint weekends are finished and the last three races are standard weekends.
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