Formula 1 has officially unveiled the 2027 World Championship calendar, defining the scale and structure of the upcoming season of the royal sport. According to Sport RBC.UA, citing the official Formula 1 website, a total of 24 Grands Prix will be held next season. This is also confirmed by a number of specialist publications, which noted that the announcement was one of the most substantial in recent years: the series not only maintained the size of the calendar but also significantly restructured it, adding new formats and bringing back two long-absent rounds.
Bahrain Opens the Season Again
The first race of the new championship will be hosted by Bahrain for the first time since 2024. The Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for 12–14 March, while pre-season testing will take place on the same circuit at the end of February. This means that teams and engineers will begin their preparation for the season in the Middle East, which traditionally allows them to run their first full-fledged sessions in conditions as close as possible to race conditions, even before the official start of the championship.
Sprints Take Centre Stage
The key structural change for the 2027 season will be the expansion of the sprint format: the number of sprint weekends will rise from six to ten. This means that almost every fourth race on the calendar will follow a shortened format with a separate sprint qualifying, increasing the density of racing and the load on drivers and mechanics. For teams, this approach heightens the importance of strategy and car reliability throughout the entire weekend.
The Return of Portugal and Turkey
Two rounds absent from the championship since 2021 are returning to the calendar. The Portuguese Grand Prix at the Portimão circuit will take place on 18–20 June, while the Istanbul round is scheduled for 1–3 October. The return of these races expands the series' geography and brings back to fans circuits that in recent years have become part of Formula 1's nostalgic image. For teams, this also means additional logistical moves and the need to adapt aerodynamic setups to the distinctive characteristics of both circuits.
The Loss of Zandvoort
The new calendar is not without losses: the Dutch Grand Prix is leaving the series. The agreement with the Zandvoort circuit expires at the end of the current season and has not been extended. For the Dutch circuit, which has become one of the most spectacular and best-attended rounds in recent years, this is a significant blow, and for the calendar it is the loss of one of the commercially strong weekends in the European part of the season.
Geopolitical Caveats
Worthy of separate attention is the caveat that the fate of several Grands Prix on the 2027 calendar depends on the situation surrounding the US–Iran conflict. This means that some rounds may be at risk of being rescheduled or cancelled depending on the development of the geopolitical situation, and the final version of the calendar may potentially be adjusted as the season approaches. Thus, the announced 24 races should be regarded as a baseline plan rather than an absolutely fixed document.
