Teams and drivers welcome sprint race in Singapore

The choice of Singapore as a new sprint race venue for the 2026 Formula One season may have raised eyebrows due to the perceived unsuitability of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but several team principals and drivers have welcomed it, saying that it will inject new excitement for fans.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

The 2026 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix from Oct 9 to I will be the first time a sprint race is held here, with the other five sprint races in China (March 13-15), Miami (May 1-3), Canada (May 22-24), Britain (July 3-5) and the Netherlands (Aug 21-23).

Introduced in 2021 to increase FYs entertainment value, sprint races run for 100km, about one-third the length of a regular Fl race, lasting for about 30 minutes.

According to the Fl website, the venues chosen for sprint events have “great overtaking potential” and are “picked to try and ensure the sprint is a flat-out, aggressive melee from start to finish”.

While the 4.927km Marina Bay Street Circuit, which is tight and twisty, is viewed as not being conducive for overtaking, Alpine’s managing director Steve Nielsen said in a press conference at the Fl Pit Building on Oct 3 that he would like to see more sprint races, as there are “too many” practice sessions.