2027 F1 Sprint Expansion: Record 2,784 Points Available

March 21, 2025 — Formula 1 is set to award its largest-ever points total in 2027 after confirming a major expansion of the Sprint format. The number of Sprint weekends will jump from six in 2026 to ten next season, pumping an extra 144 points into the championship’s coffers and bringing the seasonal total to 2,784. That represents a 5.45% increase over the 2,640 points available in 2026—and the highest tally in the sport’s history.

What’s changing

Under the revised schedule, four new venues will host Sprint races for the first time: Bahrain, Australia, Japan and Abu Dhabi. The 2027 Sprint calendar also retains Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Brazil and Qatar—all previous hosts of the format. The most eye-catching addition is Monaco; the legendary street circuit will stage its inaugural Sprint weekend, adding a layer of strategy to a race weekend that has traditionally been dominated by qualifying.

The move to ten Sprint events—up from six in 2025 and 2026—was approved by the FIA and Formula 1 following strong fan demand and feedback from broadcast partners. According to an F1 spokesperson, “The expansion reflects the growing popularity of the Sprint format and its ability to deliver three days of competitive action. We believe the extra rounds will enhance the spectacle without diluting the value of the main Grands Prix.”

How the points stack up

The 2027 season will feature 24 Grands Prix—the same as 2026—so the points from main races remain unchanged at 2,424 (101 points per race: 25 for first, 18 for second, 15 for third, and so on down to 1 point for 10th). Every Sprint race continues to award 36 points (8 for first, 7 for second, 6 for third, down to 1 point for 8th).

With six Sprints in 2026, the Sprint total was 216 points. The 2027 increase to ten Sprints pushes that figure to 360. The net result: an extra 144 points on the table, or enough to swing a championship fight. To put it in perspective, 144 points is equivalent to roughly 1.4 Grand Prix victories (at 101 points each) plus a handful of Sprint points.

Why this matters for the championship

The additional Sprint events give drivers and constructors more opportunities to earn points before the Sunday race even starts. Under the current points system, a driver who dominates Sprint sessions could theoretically gain a decisive edge in the standings. For example, winning all ten Sprints in 2027 would yield 80 points—equivalent to more than three Grand Prix second-place finishes.

Team strategists will also have to rethink their approach. With a quarter of all available points now coming from Sprints, a conservative setup on Friday that sacrifices Sprint performance could cost a team dearly over a season. Conversely, aggressive Sprint-to-race tire management could become more rewarding.

From a U.S. perspective, the expansion is a boon for Liberty Media, which owns F1. The company has been pushing to make the sport more accessible to American audiences, and Sprint races—with their shorter, punchier format—are a natural fit for broadcast windows. The inclusion of Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, both Middle Eastern races, also aligns with F1’s desire to strengthen its presence in that region while keeping the schedule compact.

Historical context: points explosion over 30 years

F1’s points system has undergone remarkable inflation. In 1996, just 416 points were handed out across 16 races. By 2006 (18 races, a different top-8 points system), the total had climbed to 702. The modern 25-points-for-a-win system debuted in 2010, and by 2016 (21 races plus one Sprint equivalent), the overall pool reached 2,121. The jump to 2,640 in 2026 and 2,784 in 2027 is powered by both calendar growth and the Sprint multiplication.

Some critics argue that excessive points devalue individual victories, but F1 officials counter that the increased scoring opportunities reward consistency and depth across a 24-race season. “We’ve moved from a system where one DNF could destroy a title bid to one where a full season of performances is more fairly reflected,” said the F1 spokesperson.

What’s next for the Sprint format

F1 has not ruled out further tweaks. The current Sprint format involves a standalone qualifying session on Friday, followed by a 100km race on Saturday, with the result setting the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. In 2027, the additional Sprint weekends will follow the same structure. Discussions are ongoing about reversing the Sprint race order or awarding more points to the top 12 finishers, but no decisions have been made for 2028 and beyond.

For American fans, the 2027 Sprint expansion means more high-octane action on Saturday afternoons—and a championship that stays open longer thanks to a larger points bank. Whether it helps a perennial contender or