- The Monaco GP will host a Formula 1 Sprint for the first time in 2027, giving drivers just one practice session before two qualifying sessions and the 100km Sprint around the Principality.
- While a Sprint will not solve Monaco’s inherent lack of overtaking, reduced preparation time and additional qualifying could introduce greater jeopardy and potentially shake up the running order.
- After the mandatory two-stop rule failed to improve the spectacle, the Sprint format could provide Monaco with a fresh injection of excitement while preserving the qualifying challenge that remains central to the event’s appeal.
Formula 1 has at last revealed its 2027 world championship calendar, featuring the expected 24 Grands Prix and an increase in Sprints from six to 10. However, the biggest surprise was the choice of Sprint venues – or, in particular, one.
Yes, the Monaco Grand Prix in 2027 will feature a Sprint race. The now-accustomed format sees drivers allotted a single practice session before a condensed qualifying session to form the grid for the 100km race itself, followed by a blockbuster Saturday featuring the aforementioned Sprint and then traditional Grand Prix qualifying.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem cited the combination of tradition and fan engagement when elaborating on next year’s calendar in a joint press release from F1 and its governing body.
“With twenty-four Grands Prix across five continents, the return of Portugal and Türkiye, and the opportunity for an expanded Sprint programme, the calendar combines tradition, innovation, and fan engagement while maintaining the highest sporting standards,” said the Emirati.
On paper, the addition of the notoriously difficult-to-overtake Monaco as a Sprint venue seems quite perplexing. Though where many may see a bad idea, Formula 1 has potentially seen another opportunity to enrich what is already a divisive weekend.
A single practice session will mean drivers have only a third of the time they typically have to dial in their setups ahead of one of the most important qualifying sessions of the year. And there is no denying the grandeur of a qualifying lap around the streets of the Principality.
There is potential for added jeopardy with less setup time and an additional qualifying session, which could potentially catch out those who are unprepared – thus leading to a mixed grid for the Sprint.
No, this does not create any additional opportunities for overtaking. But there seems to be a method to the madness, with the potential for a front-runner to be compromised early in the Sprint portion of the weekend. There will also be two qualifying sessions – arguably the most enthralling part of a Monaco Grand Prix anyway.
Having a Sprint, in theory, will achieve more than the now-scrapped mandatory two-stop rule that was brought in for 2025. It was thought to create excitement through strategic variation, but completely backfired, with teams having drivers run ultra-conservatively to achieve their required stint lengths.
There will be arguments either way, and sure, there is merit to leaving Monaco alone. But there is also the perennial chorus of Monte Carlo being branded ‘boring’ and calls for it to be removed from the calendar entirely.
Short of modifications to the track layout itself, or switching to go-karts for F1’s jewel-in-the-crown race, there is no tangible way to make the Monaco Grand Prix more conducive to overtaking.
It is just unfortunate, given the saturation of street circuits in modern F1, that a traditional marquee event such as Monaco is losing some of its aura. In a season brimming with “iconic circuits and vibrant cities,” as described by Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, the prestige and challenge of Monaco can get lost among the slew of newer, faster concrete jungles like Baku and Jeddah.
Perhaps F1 does itself a disservice by devaluing its crown-jewel race with the introduction of countless other street circuits, which create more jeopardy and appeal to wider audiences.
So yes, while on paper a Sprint in Monaco seems a bombastic and ludicrous idea – it may actually prove to be a much-needed injection for a race that annually gets lambasted for its lack of action. Audiences can sometimes forget that the Monaco Grand Prix has never really been about wheel-to-wheel racing.
