Formula 1 will be hoping its latest changes don’t harm its relationship with legacy fans following a run of controversial ones in recent seasons.
Formula 1 has announced a list of changes to its calendar and rules for next season, including shorter Grands Prix and more Sprint weekends.
Changes to Formula 1 are expected ahead of every new season, but after the negative reaction to recent engine regulations and team changes, any new update is likely to face scepticism.
The 2027 season will feature 24 Grands Prix, with the number of Sprint weekends increasing from six to 10. Maximum race distances will also be reduced by 15km, while new timing rules will give organisers more flexibility when races are disrupted by incidents or bad weather.
The changes come as Formula 1 looks to retain new audiences attracted to the sport following its Drive to Survive series on Netflix and F1 The Movie, which became the highest-grossing sports film of all time.
Previous efforts to adapt its product for these new fans who expect action throughout have caused a tear in its established audience.
The 2026 engine regulations, for example, increased the electrical output and introduced sustainable fuels, with Formula 1 saying the changes would boost overtaking and make the sport more appealing to manufacturers and a broader audience.
However, many legacy fans believed the overhaul placed too much emphasis on energy management and hybrid strategy, taking away from driver skill and the mechanical feel.
It hasn’t been stated whether the latest changes are introduced with the same audience-growth strategy, but they arrive as Formula 1 looks to balance the expectations of its legacy and newer fans.
A look at the Formula 1 calendar for 2027
The 2027 calendar will feature 24 Grands Prix across five continents, with the number of Sprint weekends increasing from six to 10.
Formula 1 says Sprint weekends have delivered 12% higher total viewership than non-Sprint weekends since the format was introduced in 2021. It also says 82% of attendees at Sprint events believe the format adds value to their ticket.
Bahrain will open the season in March before the championship moves through Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan and China. Portugal will return to the calendar in June and Türkiye will return in October after last hosting a race in 2021.
The season will retain three US races in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas, with the 24-round calendar running through to Abu Dhabi in December.
Formula 1 has also grouped races geographically where possible, with the championship saying the structure hopes to create a more efficient flow of events and support its sustainability goals.
F1 changes the race rules
The 2027 season will see changes to how races are run, with the maximum Grand Prix distance falling from 305km to 290km, though the two-hour limit on racing will remain in place. The current three-hour window from the start of a race to its conclusion will be replaced by a venue-specific “hard stop time”.
The change seeks to give races disrupted by rain or accidents more flexibility to resume. The stop time will vary depending on local conditions, providing night races with more scope to run later than events held during the day.
The FIA has also agreed to greater flexibility for extending free practice sessions when they are interrupted.
The shorter race distance is linked to refinements to the 2027 power-unit regulations, including changes to fuel flow, with the FIA saying the reduction corresponds to around two or three laps.
