Format for F1 Sprint Races in 2026

F1 sprint races in 2026 saw several changes to the format, while still retaining some elements from previous years. The third of six sprint races took place at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal from 22-24 May 2026. Notably, the format remained largely the same as last year, with one significant change: six, rather than five, of the slowest cars would be eliminated from the first two qualifying sessions due to Cadillac's arrival on the grid.

Sprint qualifying occurred on Friday, following the only practice session of the weekend. The subsequent 100km sprint, lasting approximately 30 minutes, marked the first track action on Saturday. At Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, this sprint consisted of 23 laps and commenced at 17:00 BST. The qualifying session for the main race maintained its usual schedule as the second session on Saturday, while the grand prix itself was set for Sunday at 21:00.

The structure of sprint qualifying featured three sessions. Under the new rules, the six slowest cars were knocked out from the first two qualifying sessions, consistent with the traditional qualifying process. These sessions, designated as SQ1, SQ2, and SQ3, lasted 12, 10, and eight minutes respectively, forming the grid for the sprint race. Points were awarded to the top eight finishers, ranging from eight points for first place down to one point for eighth. These points were added to the overall drivers' championship standings.

In the second sprint in Miami three weeks prior, world champion Lando Norris secured pole position and achieved victory ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was demoted from fourth to sixth place after receiving a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits multiple times.

For the calendar of the 2026 sprint races, Canada marked its debut in the format. Following the Montreal event, the final three sprints were scheduled to take place at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, and the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay. The full list of sprint race locations included:
1. China
2. Miami
3. Canada - 23 May
4. Silverstone - 4 July
5. Zandvoort - 22 August
6. Singapore - 10 October