2024 F1 calendar | Sprint race venues announced | GRR

Six sprint races announced for 2024

The sprint races for the 2024 Formula 1 season have been announced, with six sprints added to the calendar alongside the 24 grands prix already confirmed. China, Miami, Austria, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Brazil and Qatar will each host a sprint weekend next year.

The Chinese Grand Prix returns to the F1 calendar for the first time since 2019, and is one of two brand new venues for the sprint format alongside the Miami street circuit that held its inaugural grand prix in 2022.

Austria, COTA, Brazil and Qatar retain their sprint races, with the general consensus being that F1 might just have found its best locations for the shortened format that relies on frenetic racing action with plenty of overtaking.

Formats for the sprint weekends are still to be confirmed for the 2024 season. The order of the sessions is expected to change after broad criticism of the 2023 layout that saw the sprint shootout and sprint race both taking place on Saturday. It looks likely that 'sprint day' will become Fridays on the six sprint weekends.

Over the 24-weekend season, the sprint races will take place at the Chinese Grand Prix on 19^th-21^st April, Miami Grand Prix on 3^rd-5^th May, Austrian Grand Prix on 28^th-30^th June, US Grand Prix on 18^th-20^th October, Sao Paulo Grand Prix on 1^st-3^rd November and Qatar Grand Prix on 29^th November-1^st December.

2024 Formula 1 Calendar

The Chinese Grand Prix returns to the Formula 1 calendar, after several years away due to the prolonged effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, slotting into the 2024 season as the fifth round. The season again begins in Bahrain before moving on to Saudi Arabia, as was the case this year. They’ll again be back-to-back races, but will both take place on Saturdays to accommodate Ramadan in the majority Muslim countries.

Other headline moves see the Japanese Grand Prix switch ends of the season, moving to an April slot. This move has long been called for to avoid the heavy rains that have disrupted the event when it’s taken place later in the season. It also means a more sensibly spaced calendar for a few weeks at least, sitting between the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.

Miami again sits between the Asian and European seasons but doesn’t require any back-to-back organisation for 2024. The Euro season kicks off at Imola, a week before the Monaco Grand Prix in May and the Canadian Grand Prix keeps its usual slot in June.

British fans will be happy to see the Silverstone round retain its spot on July 7, at the end of a triple header with Spain and Austria. The Belgian Grand Prix retains a place on the grid, just before the summer break, which finishes with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in August. 

The Azerbaijan round in Baku has also shifted, swapping with the Suzuka race to take place in September as part of a swing back into Asia just before the Singapore Grand Prix. The F1 circus then moves into the Americas with rounds at Austin, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Las Vegas before a back-to-back return to the Middle East ends the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

The calendar has been announced much sooner than for previous years and has been ratified by the World Motor Sport Council already, so will only be subject to change if anything major happens to one of the rounds, like the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna GP this year.

Speaking of the 2024 Formula 1 calendar announcement, Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “I am delighted to announce the 2024 calendar with 24 races that will deliver an exciting season for our fans around the world. There is huge interest and continued demand for Formula 1, and I believe this calendar strikes the right balance between traditional races and new and existing venues."

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.