Lando Norris has responded to the announcement of the new sprint race in Monaco for the 2027 season. Many fans fear two parades during the race weekend on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. According to the McLaren driver, the newly announced sprint, however, offers a chance for more excitement, thanks to the removal of two free practice sessions. “As a driver, you then have to take more risks much earlier,” Norris explains.
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The GP Monaco will organize a sprint race for the first time in 2027. This was announced by Formula 1 on Wednesday. The decision to make the race weekend on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo a sprint weekend immediately received a lot of criticism. However, Lando Norris finds it ‘interesting’.
The McLaren driver visited the BMW PGA Championship – a golf event this weekend in England – where he was asked by Sky Sports about the newly announced sprint race in Monaco. “I think the main thing is that on Friday you now only have FP1 and the sprint qualifying – and that is the challenge,” Norris explains. “Of course, not much happens during the race on Sunday or during the sprint, but the challenge is that you only have one free practice, which probably has never happened before in Monaco.”
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‘In Monaco it can already be game over’
Normally, drivers have three free practice sessions to build up a rhythm on the narrow streets of Monaco. A small mistake can already mean a trip into the barriers. “A sprint weekend is of course more difficult for us as drivers,” Norris continues. “You don’t have much time to build up, so you will probably have to take more risks earlier. That is usually the moment when you see a bigger difference between drivers who feel comfortable, can try things out and stay at 99 percent, instead of going to 103 or 104 percent. In Monaco, it is game over as soon as you cross that limit.” Norris therefore expects that the Grand Prix next year can especially provide an exciting weekend for the fans.
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