This is the 2023 Formula 1 calendar

The 2023 Formula 1 Calendar

The 2023 Formula 1 season started in Bahrain. On February 23rd, pre-season testing started at Sakhir. The teams had just three days with one car to split between their two drivers. This meant that the drivers only received 1.5 days of testing each if smooth running was experienced. The F1 circus stayed at the Bahrain International Circuit for the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix. This took place on the 5th March. The sport then travelled to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on March 19. Two weeks later, the sport returned to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. 

Formula 1 couldn't find a venue to fill the gap left void by the cancelled Chinese Grand Prix, meaning there was a 'spring break'. No races were held between April 2 and April 30. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix took place on April 30 and formed part of the first sprint weekend of the season. Within a week, the teams travelled to Miami for the first 2023 race in the United States.

Teams were due to have just one week off before the first triple-header on the 2023 Formula 1 Calendar. However, due to floods in Imola, F1 had to cancel the 2023 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The F1 circus travelled straight to Monte Carlo for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix on May 28. Teams then made the relatively short trip to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix on June 4th. The weekend in Canada was sandwiched between off weeks. 

European leg in full swing

The European part of the Formula 1 season then continued with a double-header. The Austrian Grand Prix took place on July 2, the second of six sprint weekends in the 2023 Formula 1 season. Many teams' home race followed one week later with the 2023 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. After a week off, Formula 1 headed to Budapest for the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, where they announced a contract extension until 2032. The third sprint weekend of the season then took place at Spa-Franchorchamps, with the main Grand Prix on Sunday, July 30. The sport has now entered its traditional summer break period. 

The European leg of the 2023 Formula 1 season continues after the summer break. Max Verstappen's party at the Dutch Grand Prix kicks things off again. The race at Zandvoort takes place on August 27th. The final European race of the season takes place at Monza. It's the Italian Grand Prix on September 3. 

The flyaway stint

The long-haul flights for F1 personnel then continue. First, there's a trip to Singapore for F1's original night race. The Grand Prix will take place on September 17 and is linked into a double-header with the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on September 24. This is the last time the Japanese Grand Prix will take place in this part of the calendar year because, in the 2024 Formula 1 calendar, the event takes place in April to help with the travelling situation. 

After a year off due to the 2022 FIFA Football World Cup, the Qatar Grand Prix returns. This is the next sprint weekend on the schedule. F1 then return to the United States on October 22 for the Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. This will also be a sprint race weekend. The Mexican Grand Prix on October 29 forms the middle part of a triple header. On November 5, Formula 1 will return to Brazil, and another sprint race will occur at the Sao Paulo venue. 

Formula 1 returns to the United States for the last time in 2023. The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on November 18. Understandably, there is a lot of hype centred around this event. The season will conclude at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 26. 

When are the F1 Sprint races taking place in 2023?

There are six sprint race weekends on the 2023 Formula 1 calendar. These will take place in Azerbaijan (April 29), Austria (July 1), Belgium (July 29), Qatar (October 7), the United States (October 21) and Brazil (November 4). The sport has made a small change to the sprint race weekend format for 2023. The second free practice session will no longer occur, and the sprint race will no longer form the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix. Instead, traditional qualifying will take place on Friday, forming the grid for the main event on Sunday. The sprint part is now completely isolated to a Saturday. 

There is a shortened version of qualifying on Saturday morning, which sets the grid for the sprint race. This is called the Sprint Shootout. Teams must use the medium tyres in SQ1 and SQ2 as long as it is dry. The soft tyres can then make an appearance in SQ3. The sprint race remains a 100km dash, with points handed out to the top eight drivers. The winner picks up eight World Championship points, and this number reduces by one per position dropped. 

The full 2023 Formula 1 Calendar

*Denotes sprint weekend

1. Bahrain Grand Prix - March 5 - Max Verstappen
2. Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - March 19 - Sergio Perez
3. Australian Grand Prix - April 2 - Max Verstappen
4. Azerbaijan Grand Prix* - April 30 - Sergio Perez
5. Miami Grand Prix - May 7 - Max Verstappen
6. Monaco Grand Prix - May 28 - Max Verstappen
7. Spanish Grand Prix - June 4 - Max Verstappen
8. Canadain Grand Prix - June 18 - Max Verstappen 
9. Austrian Grand Prix* - July 2 - Max Verstappen
10. British Grand Prix - July 9 - Max Verstappen
11. Hungarian Grand Prix - July 23 - Max Verstappen
12. Belgian Grand Prix* - July 30 - Max Verstappen
13. Dutch Grand Prix - August 27
14. Italian Grand Prix - September 3
15. Singapore Grand Prix - September 17
16. Japanese Grand Prix - September 24
17. Qatar Grand Prix* - October 8
18. USA Grand Prix* - October 22
19. Mexican Grand Prix - October 29
20. Brazilian Grand Prix* - November 5
21. Las Vegas Grand Prix - November 18
22. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - November 26