Formula 1: David Coulthard suggests a Madrid sprint after Monaco’s addition in 2027

David Coulthard has suggested adding a sprint race in Madrid after the decision to include Monaco in the 2027 sprint programme.

The 2027 calendar confirmed by Formula 1 features 10 sprint races, with Monaco included for the first time.

Coulthard discussed those calendar changes in an episode of the Up To Speed podcast.

At the Spanish Grand Prix on 13 September, the new Madring circuit hosted the event for the first time.

In the available background information, it is reported that championship leader Kimi Antonelli took the lead and celebrated his eighth win of the season.

Comparing the current calendar with his own time in the championship, Coulthard recalled: “We covered 100,000 kilometres in testing.”

He also said: “We tested every week. We had a test team. Testing when it was just you, your team-mate, or perhaps a few other cars, day after day after day… it was exhausting. Mentally tiring, with no reward beyond, let’s say, the satisfaction of a job well done.”

“At a grand prix, you feel the achievement, because the history books will show what you achieved as a team,” he added.

On Monaco and Madrid, Coulthard said: “Monaco has been added to the sprint programme on a circuit where overtaking is very rare. It will bring more entertainment. It would therefore probably be a good thing in Madrid too, if we had a sprint there.”

In the context of his career at McLaren, Coulthard argued that he would have preferred the modern, more race-focused calendar to endless private running.

In the context of the circuit change, the new event replaces Barcelona-Catalunya as the race host under a 10-year contract; it generated considerable anticipation but also substantial criticism over the lack of overtaking opportunities.

During a race in Madrid, McLaren’s Lando Norris secured pole position and built a sizeable lead in the opening stint before losing it during a virtual safety car period that came at an unfortunate time.