F1 fans cannot believe ‘joke’ race has replaced the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as a 2026 Sprint round

Follow us on Google Discover

Formula 1 has confirmed the six Grand Prix rounds that will also now hold an F1 Sprint event during the 2026 season, including one race that has left lots of F1 fans shocked.

The 2026 F1 calendar will again feature six Sprint events for the fourth season in succession, after Formula 1 increased the initial number of Sprints on its schedule from three in 2023. It will also be the sixth term with F1 Sprint events, after its introduction in the 2021 campaign.

CEO Stefano Domenicali is not opposed to increasing the number of F1 Sprints in the future, with reports that the 2027 calendar could even include 10. Domenicali sees the 100km dash as a way for Formula 1 to increase its appeal to a wider and younger fanbase going forward.

Across the first 21 F1 Sprints staged, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is the most successful racer with 12 wins. Valtteri Bottas, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have two Sprint wins each, while George Russell, Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton have one F1 Sprint win each thus far.

F1 confirms the Singapore Grand Prix will hold its first Sprint in 2026 as Sao Paulo slips off

Hamilton won the F1 Sprint at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix for his first Sprint victory, and he will return to Shanghai with a chance to defend his Sprint victory in 2026. The Chinese GP is due to stage the first Sprint of the 2026 season on March 14 in round two of next term’s 24.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Sao Paulo GP from Senna’s painful win to Hamilton’s title

The Miami Grand Prix in round six, the Canadian Grand Prix (round seven), the British Grand Prix (R11), the Dutch Grand Prix (R14) and the Singapore Grand Prix (R18) will also now hold F1 Sprints in 2026. Montreal, Zandvoort and Marina Bay have not held an F1 Sprint before.

Canada, Britain, the Netherlands and Singapore are replacing the F1 Sprints in Belgium, the USA, Sao Paulo and Qatar from the six included on the 2025 calendar. Silverstone will stage its first F1 Sprint since the British GP saw Verstappen win the first-ever Sprint back in 2021.

But Formula 1 including an F1 Sprint in Singapore whilst removing the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from the 2026 Sprint calendar has stunned many fans. One fan said on X after F1 confirmed the news: “You can still remove Singapore and add Brazil, we’ll pretend we didn’t see this.”

Another fan also said: “Who on this earth thought it was a good idea to replace Brazil with Singapore? Brazil is literally the best track to have a Sprint on… Madness! I’m not against the others apart from maybe Zandvoort… Should’ve probably been Austria, but hey ho.”

F1 fans cannot believe the Singapore Grand Prix will have a Sprint in 2026

It is not known if the Sao Paulo GP asked to hold an F1 Sprint for the sixth season in a row in 2026, with Interlagos the only track to hold a Sprint every season since the 100km dash was introduced in 2021. Race promoters must pay F1 an increased hosting fee to stage a Sprint.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Singapore GP from Crashgate to Ferrari vs Max Verstappen

But the addition of the Singapore GP as a Sprint race in the 2026 season has not gone down well with many F1 fans, who question the inclusion of the Marina Bay Circuit. The Singapore GP regularly hits the two-hour time limit and is one of the most physically demanding races.

One fan noted, referencing the Dutch GP X account leaking the 2026 Sprint calendar in July: “We all thought Singapore was a joke when it was leaked a month back.” Another fan noted, “SINGAPORE??? What next, Monaco in 2027?”, while one even said: “Singapore Sprint zzz.”

Many F1 fans have questioned the idea of staging an F1 Sprint at the Singapore GP in 2026, as one shared: “Whose bright idea was it to have a Sprint race in Singapore?” Another also questioned F1, noting: “Sprint at Singapore? Are you absolutely sure you want to do that?”

Given the humidity and physical toil the Singapore GP takes on drivers, another said: “Why do we want a Singapore Sprint? It’s a physically challenging track already with the heat.” A fan also said: “Sprint in Singapore? A country known for its heat and humidity at daytime?”

One fan also stated: “Singapore and UK are just a bad idea. Singapore will be racing at the first corner, crash and then follow the leader until the end. Silverstone is one of the best weekends on the calendar and shouldn’t be changed.”