By Alan Baldwin
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Formula One will have more sprint races in 2027 than the current six but will maintain the scarcity value, chief executive Stefano Domenicali said on Thursday.
The 2027 calendar has yet to be published, with the Iran war casting lingering uncertainty over Middle Eastern races, but Domenicali said it will again be 24 rounds next year after a likely 23 in 2026.
"Our sprint format continues to drive higher Friday attendances and stronger daily attendances through our race
weekend ... we expect to expand the number of sprints for next year and to provide further details soon," Domenicali told analysts after F1 owners Liberty Media published the company's second quarter 2026 results.
"We want to do (it) in the right way because of course this will allow us also to make sure that the scarcity is a value. So if commercially we would go everywhere, of course that's not anymore a value."
Reduced distance sprint races, with eight points to the winner, are held on Saturday mornings with qualifying replacing the usual second Friday practice. The main grand prix remains on Sunday after Saturday qualifying.
Flavio Briatore, the boss of Renault-owned Alpine, told www.the-race.com this week that Formula One should have a sprint at every race weekend.
"I'd do it every race. Because we need to give something more to the spectator. Because we do nothing for the spectator," said Briatore.
"Friday morning is only technical. You go two laps, you come back, and the people, OK. After Saturday in the morning, after you have the qualifying, and that's the finito, you have the race.
"With the sprint race, at least you have two races, two starts, and the driver is driving for something. He's not driving only for the engineering. And for me, we need to have the sprint race. For me, 24 races, 24 sprint races."
Formula One reported a 38% decrease in revenue to $764 million for the three months to end-June 2026 due to there being four fewer races.
Domenicali also said, without providing figures, that the U.S. broadcast partnership with Apple had led to a 13% rise in viewership and total hours watched.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
