Aussie F1 Grand Prix loses season-opening honour but gains sprint race

Melbourne will be the third stop on the Formula 1 calendar, with Bahrain hosting the season-opening race.

A sprint race will be a feature of the Australian Grand Prix next year.

Melbourne's Australian Grand Prix will not have the privilege of opening the 2027 Formula 1 season, but it will boast two races in its biggest weekend yet.

After landing the chance to open the F1 year in 2026 as it once traditionally did for two decades, the Albert Park event will be the third stop on next season's record-equalling 24-race program.

The main race will take place later than usual on April 4, with Bahrain replacing Melbourne as the season-opening venue on March 14.

Jeddah will host the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix a week after the Bahrain race.

But the key development will be the introduction of a sprint race in Melbourne on Saturday, on the eve of the grand prix itself.

Instead of two sessions of practice on the Friday before the grand prix, there will be just one with sprint race qualifying taking place in the afternoon.

On the Saturday, there will be the double attraction of a sprint race, followed later by qualifying for the main event.

Melbourne will be one of 10 circuits to stage a sprint race in 2027, four more than this year.

F1 bosses clearly believe the 30-minute shorter races on the Saturday are the way forward.

They claim data showed broadcast viewership of sprint weekends was 12 per cent higher than non-sprint weekends, with qualifying three times more popular with fans than free practice.

Portugal (June 20) and Türkiye (October 3) are additions to the program, with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort and Barcelona having dropped off.