F1 Rumors: A Monaco Sprint Race in the 2027 Calendar?

The new 2027 F1 calendar is scheduled to be released on Wednesday morning (EST), but there are already rumors as to what it will look like. 

The provisional dates still point to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as the first two races in 2027. The two Grands Prix are scheduled on back-to-back weekends, specifically on March 12-14 (Bahrain) and March 19-21 (Saudi Arabia).

However, there's still a big cloud of uncertainty over those two races. We could recall that F1 cancelled its 2026 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to security concerns caused by the conflicts in the Middle East. Moreover, the FIA remains undecided if it will push through with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix later this season. If the Middle East races get cancelled, we might see F1 returning to Imola this year.

The headline rumor surrounds the Monaco Grand Prix, with speculations saying that it will feature a Sprint race in 2027. This move might be focused on providing more excitement in a weekend where Saturday's qualifying is the most important event. The track at Monte Carlo is notoriously known for its overtaking difficulty, which is why Sunday looks more like a parade of supercars.

But that's what baffles us: why introduce a Sprint race for a track where it's almost improbable to overtake? 

On top of the potential Monaco addition to the Sprint lineup, F1 might also be looking at other venues. We might have Sprint races during the US, Belgian, and Austrian Grands Prix. 

If they're planning more Sprint races in 2027, prioritizing circuits with high-speed layout profiles and proven overtaking opportunities should be their approach.

Unfortunately for Dutch fans (mostly Max Verstappen fans, too), Zandvoort is already out of the 2027 F1 calendar. The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix is also scheduled for a one-year break, but it is expected to return in 2028. 

But here's some good news for the F1 community: two historic tracks are returning in 2027. Portugal returns at Portimao on a two-year deal, while Turkey returns at Istanbul Park on a five-year deal.

The Portuguese Grand Prix is provisionally scheduled for June 18-20, while the Turkish Grand Prix is slated for October 1-3. 

The last Portuguese GP was held in 2020 at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao, where Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton emerged victorious. Meanwhile, the most recent F1 race at Istanbul Park happened back in 2021, when Valtteri Bottas also won for Mercedes.