Source: GPFans (2026)
Key Findings at a Glance
- → 24 races planned for 2027 F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed different contingency plans are in place for 2027, but the target remains 24 races despite Middle East conflict uncertainty. [Sky Sports]
- → 2027 calendar announcement delayed to autumn 2026 F1 is delaying its 2027 calendar announcement amid uncertainty over whether the season opener in the Middle East can proceed, tied to the Iran war’s impact on Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races in 2026. [The Race]
- → Bahrain planned as 2027 season opener on March 14 Sources indicate Bahrain is set to host the 2027 season-opening race on March 14, followed by Saudi Arabia on March 21, as part of ongoing contractual commitments. [The Race]
- → 2027 marks the 78th running of the F1 World Championship The 2027 season will be the second year under the FIA’s overhauled chassis and power unit rules first brought in for 2026. [F1 History]
- → Cadillac joined as the 11th F1 team in 2026 Cadillac, powered by Ferrari engines, became F1’s first team expansion since Haas joined in 2016, and will complete its second season in 2027. [F1 History]
- → Audi enters its second season as a full factory team in 2027 Audi joined F1 in 2026 after acquiring Sauber and will keep building and running its own power units in-house through 2027. [F1 History]
- → Malaysia added to the 2026 calendar in October Malaysia was added to host the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix as a direct result of the Middle East conflict, a sign of the disruption feeding into 2027 planning uncertainty. [Sky Sports]
Fourteen seats on the 2027 Formula 1 grid remain unfilled, according to an official F1 update reported by GPFans, with Max Verstappen’s contract situation topping the list of unresolved questions. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed the target of 24 races for the season, though the full calendar announcement has been pushed to autumn 2026 amid Middle East conflict concerns. This preview covers the calendar, driver market, rules, and teams shaping the 78th running of the championship.
1How Many Races Are Planned for the 2027 F1 Calendar?
F1 is targeting 24 races for 2027, per Sky Sports. Bahrain is set to open the season March 12-14, followed by Saudi Arabia March 19-21. The Madring circuit in Madrid joins the schedule, while Las Vegas runs November 19-21 and the Abu Dhabi finale closes the year December 10-12.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Planned races on 2027 calendar | 24 races | Sky Sports |
| Planned 2027 season-opening test | February 25-27 date range | The Race |
| Planned Bahrain Grand Prix date (2027 opener) | March 12-14 date range | The Race |
| Planned Saudi Arabian Grand Prix date | March 19-21 date range | The Race |
| Planned Las Vegas Grand Prix date | November 19-21 date range | The Race |
| Planned season finale (Abu Dhabi GP) date | December 10-12 date range | The Race |
| New race location referenced in 2027 plan | Madring (Madrid) circuit name | The Race |
| Source: Sky Sports | ||
The pre-season test lands February 25-27 in Bahrain, keeping the season’s Middle East opening intact despite the delayed calendar announcement tied to the Iran war’s regional impact. Malaysia’s October addition to the 2026 calendar, filling in for a postponed Bahrain race, shows how thin the margin for error is heading into 2027, a topic covered further in f1-2027-team-strategies and f1-silly-season-for-2027.
2How Many Driver Seats Are Open for the 2027 F1 Grid?
GPFans reports 14 seats open on the 2027 grid, an official F1 figure that makes this one of the busiest driver markets in years. Max Verstappen, 28, sits at the center of the uncertainty, with no confirmed deal reported for his future beyond the current season.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Open seats on 2027 grid | 14 seats | GPFans |
| Max Verstappen’s age | 28 years | GPFans |
| Source: GPFans | ||
At 28, Verstappen sits well within a typical driver’s competitive years, yet his contract talks headline the 14 open seats tracked across the field for 2027, detailed name-by-name in f1-2027-driver-predictions. The wider contract rundown runs through f1-silly-season-for-2027, and fans tracking driver numbers against past champions can check comparison-of-driver-records-by-car-number-for-f1-championships.
3What Season Number Is the 2027 F1 Championship?
The 2027 season marks the 78th running of the Formula 1 World Championship, per F1 History records. It will be the second year under the FIA’s overhauled chassis and power unit rules first introduced for 2026, giving teams a full year of data before locking in their designs.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Season number in F1 history | 78th ordinal | F1 History |
| Source: F1 History | ||
Running the same rulebook for a second straight year gives engineers room to refine rather than reinvent, a pattern already showing up in f1-2027-team-strategies. Teams that struggled to adapt in 2026 now get a chance to close the gap, with technical staff tracking the rule set closely through motorsport-technical-roles and motorsport-engineering-jobs.
4Which Teams Are Racing in F1 for 2027?
No new teams join the 2027 grid. Cadillac, running Ferrari engines, enters its second season after becoming F1’s first new team since Haas joined in 2016. Audi, which bought Sauber to enter in 2026, builds its own power units in-house through 2027, while Aston Martin now runs Honda engines and Alpine stays with Mercedes power.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Cadillac’s power unit supplier | Ferrari engine supplier | F1 History |
| Last year a new F1 team joined before Cadillac | 2016 year | F1 History |
| Honda’s engine supply partner for 2027 | Aston Martin team | F1 History |
| Renault’s absence from engine supply since | 1988 year | F1 History |
| Alpine’s engine supplier for 2026-2027 | Mercedes engine supplier | F1 History |
| Source: F1 History | ||
Renault has not supplied engines to another team since 1988, a long absence from the customer market that highlights Honda’s return through its Aston Martin partnership. With Cadillac and Audi both past their debut season, the grid settles into a stable 11-team field, a shift covered in more depth at f1-2027-team-strategies and f1-silly-season-for-2027.
Complete Data Reference
Sortable table of all verified data points. Click any column header to sort.
| Metric | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planned races on 2027 calendar | 24 races | Sky Sports | 2026 |
| Planned 2027 season-opening test | February 25-27 date range | The Race | 2026 |
| Planned Bahrain Grand Prix date (2027 opener) | March 12-14 date range | The Race | 2026 |
| Planned Saudi Arabian Grand Prix date | March 19-21 date range | The Race | 2026 |
| Planned Las Vegas Grand Prix date | November 19-21 date range | The Race | 2026 |
| Planned season finale (Abu Dhabi GP) date | December 10-12 date range | The Race | 2026 |
| New race location referenced in 2027 plan | Madring (Madrid) circuit name | The Race | 2026 |
| Open seats on 2027 grid | 14 seats | GPFans | 2026 |
| Max Verstappen’s age | 28 years | GPFans | 2026 |
| Season number in F1 history | 78th ordinal | F1 History | 2026 |
| Cadillac’s power unit supplier | Ferrari engine supplier | F1 History | 2026 |
| Last year a new F1 team joined before Cadillac | 2016 year | F1 History | 2026 |
| Honda’s engine supply partner for 2027 | Aston Martin team | F1 History | 2026 |
| Renault’s absence from engine supply since | 1988 year | F1 History | 2026 |
| Alpine’s engine supplier for 2026-2027 | Mercedes engine supplier | F1 History | 2026 |
Methodology
The 2027 F1 calendar remains unconfirmed at time of writing, with the official release pushed to autumn 2026 due to Middle East conflict-related uncertainty affecting Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Driver market figures, including the count of open seats and Verstappen’s status, reflect a fast-moving situation that can shift before the season begins. Race dates listed are planning targets, not finalized contracts.
- Sources consulted: 10
- Sources cited: 4
- Data range: 2026-06-01 to 2026-08-16
- Freshness: 4 current-year, 0 last-year, 0 older
- Update schedule: Quarterly
Frequently Asked Questions
How many races are planned for the 2027 F1 season?
F1 is aiming for a 24-race calendar in 2027, the same target set in recent years. Sky Sports reports CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed this number stays in place even with contingency plans for the Middle East conflict affecting Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The exact list of tracks will not be locked in until closer to the start of the year. [Sky Sports]
When will the 2027 F1 calendar be officially announced?
The 2027 calendar release has been pushed back to autumn 2026 because of doubt over whether the season opener in the Middle East can happen as planned, per The Race. The delay ties directly to how the Iran war has already disrupted the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races on the 2026 schedule. [The Race]
When does the 2027 F1 season start?
Current planning points to Bahrain hosting the opening race on March 14, 2027, with Saudi Arabia following on March 21, based on reporting from The Race. A single pre-season test is set for February 25-27 in Bahrain, though these dates depend on how the Middle East situation settles before autumn 2026. [The Race]
How many driver seats are open for the 2027 grid?
An official F1 update cited by GPFans puts the number of open seats for 2027 at 14, making this one of the busiest driver markets in years. Max Verstappen, now 28, remains the biggest name tied to the uncertainty, with his future still the central storyline of the silly season. [GPFans]
Will Max Verstappen stay on the grid for 2027?
As of the August 2026 GPFans update, Verstappen’s status for 2027 is still listed among the grid’s unresolved questions, despite being only 28 years old. No confirmed move has been reported, and his seat remains part of the 14 open spots tracked across the field for next season. [GPFans]
Are there new teams joining the F1 grid in 2027?
No new entries are set for 2027 – Cadillac and Audi, F1’s newest teams, will both be heading into their second seasons rather than debuting. Cadillac, running Ferrari engines, joined in 2026 as the first team addition since Haas in 2016, while Audi builds its own power units after buying Sauber, per F1 History. [F1 History]
Is a Madrid race joining the F1 calendar in 2027?
Yes, planning documents referenced by The Race list a track called ‘Madring’ in Madrid as the Spanish Grand Prix location for 2027, penciled in for September 10-12. This would mark a shift for the Spanish race, though final confirmation is tied to the broader calendar announcement now delayed to autumn 2026. [The Race]
When is the 2027 F1 season expected to end?
The season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is planned for December 10-12, 2027, according to The Race, with Las Vegas set to run just before it on November 19-21. These dates fit within the target of 24 races confirmed by Sky Sports for the year. [The Race]
Sources & References
- GPFans. “F1 2027 grid: The fourteen open seats – official update confirms Verstappen status.” https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/1089055/f1-2027-grid-the-fourteen-open-seats-official-update-confirms-verstappen-status/. Accessed 2026-08-16.
- Sky Sports. “F1 2027 calendar: Contingency plans in place for next year’s Formula 1 schedule amid US-Israel war with Iran.” https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/13569381/f1-2027-calendar-contingency-plans-in-place-for-next-years-formula-1-schedule-amid-us-israel-war-with-iran. Accessed 2026-08-16.
- The Race. “F1 calendar chaos: 2027, 2026 Middle East, Imola planned dates.” https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-calendar-chaos-2027-2026-middle-east-imola-planned-dates/. Accessed 2026-08-16.
- F1 History. “2027 F1 World Championship.” https://www.formulaonehistory.com/seasons/2027-f1-world-championship/. Accessed 2026-08-16.
Last updated: August 16, 2026
