Formula 1 has increased the number of sprint races from six to 10 for the 2027 World Championship.
Sprint events, which feature a shorter race on Saturday and an extra qualifying session on Friday, will be held for the first time in Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Monaco, and Abu Dhabi.
The other sprints will be in Canada, Britain, Italy, Brazil, and Qatar, it was revealed as the calendar was formally announced.
The maximum number of sprints previously in a season has been six.
The 2027 season is scheduled to start in Bahrain on 12-14 March, followed by Saudi Arabia a week later, but both events will remain in doubt while the war in the Middle East continues.
Bahrain is the default season-opening race, but Australia has hosted the first grand prix for the past two years because of the timing of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The 2026 season is due to end with two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and while F1 is planning to complete the calendar as scheduled, it is working on contingency plans if those races cannot be held as a result of the continuing conflict between the US/Israel and Iran.
The same applies for the start of next season as F1 considers its options for an alternative opening schedule if racing in the Middle East looks impossible by the end of this year.
On Sunday, a summit involving some of the nations involved in or affected by the conflict released a statement urging “maximum restraint” in the war.
The British Grand Prix will be on 2-4 July, and the 2027 season re-introduces races in Portugal and Turkey, returning for the first time since being used as placeholder events during the pandemic.
Sprint events usually come at a higher price for race organisers but they are in demand because they increase the chance of selling more tickets, with competitive action on each of the three days of the meeting rather than only Saturday and Sunday.
Silverstone believe holding a sprint this year was a large part of the reason for the British Grand Prix’s highest ever attendance – 64,000 more fans attended over the course of the four days compared with the year before, which was not a sprint.
The inclusion of a sprint event in Monaco will inevitably raise eyebrows, given it is almost impossible to overtake around the historic street circuit.
However, F1 is selling it on the fact that it means there will be two qualifying sessions at Monaco – qualifying around the demanding track is renowned as one of the highlights of the season.
Two separate qualifying sessions could also provide two different grid orders, increasing variability.
The flip side of a sprint in Monaco is that, because of the lack of overtaking opportunities, the finishing order of the sprint will be pretty much locked in once the cars have completed the first lap, barring accidents.
F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said: “We are thrilled to welcome Portugal and Turkey to the championship and to expand sprint racing to 10 events, giving our fans even more intensity, drama, and the wheel-to-wheel action that make our sport so special.”
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of F1’s governing body the FIA, said: “The 2027 FIA F1 World Championship calendar is a strong reflection of the global appeal and continued growth of our sport.
“With 24 grands prix across five continents, the return of Portugal and Turkey, and the opportunity for an expanded sprint programme, the calendar combines tradition, innovation and fan engagement while maintaining the highest sporting standards.”
Pre-season testing is also scheduled to be held in Bahrain on 24-27 February.
The Cleveland Guardians meet the Chicago White Sox a game after Travis Bazzana homered twice in a 7-6 victory over the White Sox. The game starts at 1:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Parker Messick (11-9, 2.51 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians, who are 77-75 this season and second in the AL Central. Anthony Kay (9-9, 4.59 ERA) is starting for the White Sox, who are 77-74 and first in the AL Central.
How to watch Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians
White Sox vs. Guardians odds
Favorite Moneyline: Guardians -179
Underdog Moneyline: White Sox +145
Total: 7.5
Total Over Odds: -120
Total Under Odds: +100
Injury reports
Guardians
Rhys Hoskins: 10 Day IL (Back), Colin Holderman: 15 Day IL (Wrist), Shawn Armstrong: 60 Day IL (Leg), Chase DeLauter: day-to-day (Hamstring)
White Sox
Joey Bart: 10 Day IL (Hand), Tommy Pham: 10 Day IL (Calf), Huascar Brazoban: 15 Day IL (Lat), Tanner Murray: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Prelander Berroa: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ky Bush: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Mike Vasil: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Jordan Leasure: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Brooks Baldwin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Drew Thorpe: 60 Day IL (Elbow)
Stats to know
Cleveland’s Chase DeLauter is slashing .289/.362/.453 this season with 14 home runs, 62 RBIs and an OPS of .815. He has a 14.6% strikeout rate and a 10.5% walk rate in 522 plate appearances, and he has scored 57 total runs. DeLauter has recorded 11 steals on 13 attempts.
In 595 plate appearances, Steven Kwan is hitting .279/.376/.346 with a .722 OPS and 10 steals on 13 attempts. He has hit three long balls, driven in 30 runs and scored 76 times.
Chicago’s Miguel Vargas is slashing .249/.358/.475 this season with 31 home runs (11th in MLB), 84 RBIs and an OPS of .832. He has a 17.9% strikeout rate and a 13.7% walk rate in 658 plate appearances, and he has scored 98 total runs. Vargas has recorded 19 steals on 21 attempts.
In 608 plate appearances, Chase Meidroth has posted a 22.2% strikeout rate and a 9.7% walk rate while slashing .268/.344/.399 with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs and 82 runs scored.
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England winger Tommy Freeman has signed a new contract with Prem champions Northampton Saints, keeping him at Franklin’s Gardens “for the foreseeable future”.
The 25-year-old made his Saints debut in 2019 and has gone on to make 118 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 79 tries.
“Its a no-brainer in terms of the coaching staff we’ve got,” Freeman told BBC Radio Northampton.
“I think I’m going to grow as a player here. I don’t think anywhere else at the moment is going to help me do that.
“I’m performing with England as well and involved in that, and that’s a big credit to Saints – giving me the opportunity and putting me on the stage to do my skills and go and impress.”
Freeman’s decision to commit his future to Saints follows on from England team-mates Fin Smith, Fraser Dingwall and Alex Mitchell also all agreeing new deals at Northampton – although the future of Henry Pollock remains uncertain.
“You can’t really beat the players in and around us, the group of friends we’ve got, and the coaching staff to help me grow as a player,” Freeman added.
“You want to be happy where you’re playing. Being a special group, you go on to achieve something special as a group.”
Following his England debut in the 2021 autumn internationals, Freeman has won 30 caps, scoring 11 tries. Freeman also made six appearances for the British and Irish Lions on their 2025 tour of Australia, including three Test matches.
Saints’ director of rugby Phil Dowson told the club website:, external “To have Tommy commit his future to the club so early in this season’s recruitment and retention cycle is a huge boost for us. We’re delighted that he’s chosen to continue his journey with Northampton Saints.”
Freeman has played at both wing and centre for England, and Saints head coach Sam Vesty has not ruled out Freeman featuring more at full-back for his club.
“I think he’ll cover more of the backline,” Vesty said. “With squads getting that little bit smaller, being able to have a couple of positions to play is a fantastic attribute, and that’s one of his big strengths.”
The exact duration of Freeman’s new deal has not been revealed although he still had one season remaining on his previous contract.
Thomas Tuchel wishes he’d eaten grass from the Azteca pitch after England’s World Cup win over Mexico this summer.
That’s just one of the statements from the England boss which has drawn attention across social media, following the FA releasing a new documentary called ‘Reflections: England’s World Cup Journey’.
In the documentary, Tuchel sits alongside former England international and Sky Sports pundit Daniel Sturridge to look back on England’s campaign, which ultimately saw the team finish third, having lost in the semi-finals to Argentina.
England’s standout performance of the tournament came in the last-16 win over Mexico in Mexico City, where they played for over 35 minutes with 10 men but prevailed 3-2.
“I texted a friend after the match and I just wrote, ‘I regret that I didn’t eat some grass after the match to keep something from this in my body forever’,” said Tuchel.
On the unity his players showed in that match, Tuchel pointed to their reaction to Jordan Henderson falling and breaking his arm in the post-match celebrations.
“If you needed any proof, any proof for what it meant to these players and how they were with each other, it was the moment when Jordan fell over and broke his arm,” said Tuchel.
Image: Jordan Henderson receives treatment after suffering an injury in the post-game celebrations following England’s win against Mexico
“Within a second, the players were there, every single player was there, stopping the celebrations, building a shield, protecting Jordan and not going nowhere in full empathy. It was just so special.”
The film will be released on Wednesday September 16 exclusively on the England app.
The build-up to the Mexico game had been dominated by talk of the altitude of the Azteca stadium but also the potential for weather delays, which proved founded with kick-off pushed back.
But Tuchel says a calm came over the group when they trained together in Mexico before the match and meditation and manifestation helped them to achieve the victory.
“In the middle of Mexico City and we arrived and it’s an oasis, it’s so peaceful, it’s an unbelievable pitch and it is so calm, it is so peaceful that it did something to the players,” said Tuchel.
“They came out from the gym straight out on the pitch, they were having phone calls, walking around, it was such a peaceful energy.
“So we came up with this line of ‘silence is powerful’, that we enjoy the silence, we’re in a home country, we will play against the whole nation, the whole nation will be against us, the stadium, it’s almost impossible to win in the stadium, no one has ever done it before in a World Cup match.
“So let’s enjoy the silence, the power of the silence. We even had five minutes on the match day of meditation and manifestation of the last whistle.”
Image: Tuchel speaks to players during a hydration break
The FA are currently undergoing a review of England’s World Cup campaign but Tuchel says the experience has bonded him and the group together and he is “excited” about what comes next.
England face world champions Spain in the Nations League in the upcoming international break with the 2028 Euros the next major tournament. Tuchel reckons preparing for that tournament will be easier than the planning which was required for the 2026 World Cup.
“It created a huge bond to these players, it feels like they are my players now. This is the beauty of it,” said Tuchel.
“When you have a manager and then you have success and you have painful moments together, but you have so much time together and then you create a natural bond.
England’s upcoming fixtures
England vs Spain – Nations League, September 26
Czech Republic vs England – Nations League, September 29
Croatia vs England – Nations League, October 3
England vs Czech Republic – Nations League, October 6
“I’m happy to see them, I’m happy to challenge them, happy to push them and very proud to be a part of them.
“I’m very excited. I’m excited to work with these players. I’m excited to have new, young players that we can bring into camp and that they can learn.
“We’ve got another step closer and I think we’re there.
“It’s very difficult to prepare a World Cup in the US, but it’s possible to prepare for a Euros and be prepared in Nations League tier one.
“The target is to have another 10 matches. We had 10 matches in the US, eight wins, one draw, one painful loss, but that is something to build on.
“We have all the right to hold our heads high and go with courage and positivity into the next challenges.
“We have four matches in the Nations League coming up and that’s where the focus is.”
Tuchel on Harry Kane going to another level
Image: Harry Kane celebrates scoring for England at the World Cup
“Just so easy. He’s always there, he’s always in training, he always wants to train. The level to which he got himself now, since he’s at Bayern Munich.
“The level of commitment and training, how he arrived in prep camp, how he arrived in the qualification matches, the speech after the October camp, and he straight away stood up in the dressing room and said, ‘guys, we will keep on going in November, this is what we do’.
“He found another level in his game, but also as a personality, and how he shows up for training, how he drives training standards is one of a kind. The finishing is out of control good.”
On Jude Bellingham living up to his full potential
Image: Jude Bellingham celebrates as England go on to beat Erling Haaland’s Norway at the World Cup
“He was one of the players of the tournament, not only for us, but of the whole tournament.
“He lived up to his full potential, you could just see what a competitor, what a machine he is, and he just thrives on the pressure. He just loves these moments, he loves these stages, it brings out the very best.
“He came with an amazing mindset into camp, with the best physical preparation. He came fresh, he came hungry, hungry for football, hungry for minutes into camp. He took his place and decided every single match for us.”
On the England fans and their ‘special’ connection with the team
Image: England players join fans for a rendition of Wonderwall after beating DR Congo
“They lived up to the high expectations.
“Everyone told me, ‘wait until the tournament starts, we will have the best fans, we will be right on top, it will be amazing, the amount of people…’ and it was just like that from the first moment.
“They just felt this team. I believe that fans have a sense, maybe they cannot name it, someone will say, ‘yeah, they give everything, they’re sweating, after the whistle goes, they have to sit down because they’re so tired’. For everyone it’s maybe different, they feel it, they could sense it, that this team is together and this team means it.
“That’s what made the connection so strong. That was not artificial. That was very special.”
