Zandvoort post may have revealed 2026 sprint calendar

Zandvoort may have accidentally revealed the venues for Formula 1's six sprint races in 2026, via a social media post that was swiftly deleted.

According to Canadian media including the Journal de Montreal, the now-removed graphic showed Canada, China, Zandvoort, Silverstone, Miami and Singapore as next year's sprint hosts.

“The post quickly disappeared, but it was too late,” the outlet reported. If confirmed, it marks a significant shake-up to the sprint calendar. Only Shanghai and Miami would remain from the 2025 sprint lineup, with newcomers including Singapore, Zandvoort, and Montreal.

While F1 has yet to officially confirm the 2026 sprint schedule, the leak aligns with expectations that six sprint weekends will remain part of the format, with the main calendar also holding steady at 24 races.

Sprint races were introduced in 2021 to broaden the sport’s appeal among younger fans and television audiences, but they remain polarising, particularly among drivers and more traditional supporters.

The format removes a full practice session, tightens parc ferme restrictions, and limits teams' ability to recover from mistakes. The sprint race at Spa last weekend was a case in point, despite top cars running closely, very little overtaking occurred.

“There’s not a lot going on,” said Lando Norris. “I’m not too fussed about sprint races, but obviously main races I prefer to win.”

Oscar Piastri, who started the Spa sprint from pole, agreed: “It is only the sprint. The main points are tomorrow.”

Max Verstappen, who won the race, also played down the event’s significance: “Fifteen qualifying laps,” he said. “You're keeping faster cars behind so you have to drive over the limit. Tyre management is out of the window.”