Stefano Domenicali shut down Flavio Briatore's push for sprint races at all 24 rounds but confirmed F1 will run more than the current six in 2026. The CEO framed it as a revenue play on Liberty's latest earnings call — sprints create "leverage for the promoter" and open new sponsorship deals — while insisting scarcity drives value. Briatore, now advising Alpine, had argued for the MotoGP model: sprints every weekend. Domenicali isn't biting. The exact number arrives with the calendar announcement, but the expansion means more markets bidding to host the Saturday showcase. That could include another US round — Miami, Austin, and Vegas are all proven revenue machines where an extra race-day product sells. The calculus remains unchanged: sprint weekends pack more track time into three days, generate new sponsorship inventory, and keep F1 walking the line between spectacle and the traditional weekend format.
Read the full story at RaceFansDOMENICALI RESISTS BRIATORE’S CALL FOR SPRINT RACES AT EVERY ROUND
Stefano Domenicali shut down Flavio Briatore's push for sprint races at all 24 rounds but confirmed F1 will run more than the current six in 2026. The CEO framed it as a revenue play on Liberty's latest earnings call — sprints create "leverage for the promoter" and open new sponsorship deals — while insisting scarcity drives value. Briatore, now advising Alpine, had argued for the MotoGP model: sprints every weekend. Domenicali isn't biting. The exact number arrives with the calendar announcement, but the expansion means more markets bidding to host the Saturday showcase. That could include another US round — Miami, Austin, and Vegas are all proven revenue machines where an extra race-day product sells. The calculus remains unchanged: sprint weekends pack more track time into three days, generate new sponsorship inventory, and keep F1 walking the line between spectacle and the traditional weekend format.
