Melbourne Scores First-Ever F1® Sprint for 2027

The FORMULA 1 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2027 is about to get even bigger. Alongside confirmation of the full 24-round 2027 FIA Formula One World Championship™ calendar, Melbourne has been announced as a first-time host of a Sprint weekend — one of ten Sprint events on the calendar next season, up from six this year.

It's a first in the Albert Park Grand Prix™ Circuit's history, and it means fans heading to the 2027 event will get an extra dose of wheel-to-wheel racing across the weekend, on top of the Grand Prix™ itself.

What a Sprint Weekend Means for Race Fans

Instead of the usual three practice sessions, a Sprint weekend trims things down to a single hour-long practice session on Friday, followed by a shortened Sprint Qualifying session split into three even shorter segments that sets the grid for Saturday's Sprint. The Sprint itself covers around 100km — roughly a third of a full Grand Prix™ distance — and runs for about half an hour, with points awarded to the top eight finishers. Saturday afternoon then moves straight into traditional qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix™, meaning fans get three days of genuinely competitive, points-paying action instead of the usual two.

Why the Sprint Format Keeps Growing

The jump to ten Sprint weekends in 2027 continues a steady climb for the format since it was first trialled in 2021, and Formula 1's® own numbers explain why. Sprint weekends have consistently drawn higher overall viewership than standard race weekends, and fan surveys have found that the majority of attendees feel a Sprint adds extra value to their ticket, with the majority of fans overall saying Sprint weekends make a season's calendar more compelling. With three of the season's first four rounds — Bahrain, Australia and Japan — now running as Sprints, 2027 will reward teams and drivers who can hit the ground running from round one.

Melbourne Retains Its Round Three Slot

The FORMULA 1 MOËT & CHANDON AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2027 will run from 1 - 4 April, once again taking the third round of the season behind Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Both Middle Eastern rounds are scheduled to return to the calendar next year after disruption to the 2026 season, though F1® has acknowledged some uncertainty could still affect the exact running order of the opening rounds.

Melbourne joins Bahrain, Japan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi as a first-time Sprint host for 2027, while Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Brazil and Qatar return to the format from this season. Monaco's addition is a standout — Monte Carlo's famously tight, twisty streets already produce one of the most thrilling qualifying sessions on the calendar, and from 2027 fans will get two of those sessions across the same weekend.

A Bigger, Busier Calendar

The 2027 season also welcomes back two familiar names. The Portuguese Grand Prix™ returns to the calendar for the first time since hosting a pair of races during the pandemic, joining the European leg in June, while the Turkish Grand Prix™ makes its first appearance since 2021, slotted in for October. Barcelona steps aside for the year as part of a new arrangement that will see the Spanish round alternate between Catalunya and Spa-Francorchamps in future seasons.

With 24 rounds, 22 countries and now ten Sprint weekends on the calendar, 2027 is shaping up to be one of the biggest seasons in Formula 1® history. and Melbourne has a front row seat.

Start planning your Grand Prix™ weekend

As the Official Travel Partner of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, we will once again deliver 2027 Official Travel Packages, inclusive of official tickets, hand-picked Melbourne accommodation, and exclusive race weekend experiences, all in one place. Official Travel Packages for the FORMULA 1 MOËT & CHANDON AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2027 go on sale from 6 October 2026. Register now to be the first to know when they go live, and secure your place at the Albert Park Circuit for the FORMULA 1 MOËT & CHANDON AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2027.

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