The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will host its first Formula 1 Sprint race in 2027, adding a new competitive element to the season finale at Yas Marina Circuit.

The announcement by organisers Ethara Live follows confirmation of the 2027 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, which includes 24 Grands Prix across 22 countries and 10 Sprint events.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is scheduled to take place from 9 to 12 December 2027, with Yas Marina Circuit set to host the final round of the season.

The Sprint will be held on Saturday over a distance of 100km. Unlike a traditional Grand Prix, it will not require a mandatory pit stop, and the winner will receive eight championship points.

Abu Dhabi is one of five venues selected to host a Sprint for the first time in 2027, alongside Bahrain, Australia, Japan and Monaco. Sprint events will also return to Montréal, Silverstone, Monza, São Paulo and Lusail.

The expanded Sprint programme will bring the number of Sprint events in the season to 10, up from six. Formula 1 and the FIA said the increase reflects continued demand for the format.

The 2027 season will begin with pre-season testing in Bahrain from 24 to 27 February, followed by the opening race in the country and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The championship will then travel to Australia, Japan, China, Miami and Canada.

Portugal is set to return to the calendar in June, while Türkiye will make its comeback in October, with its race scheduled between Azerbaijan and Singapore. The season will conclude with rounds in Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, said the calendar reflected Formula 1’s global appeal and continued growth, while combining established venues with returning destinations and an expanded Sprint programme.

The Abu Dhabi Sprint will give fans at Yas Marina an additional opportunity to see championship points contested before the season concludes on Sunday.

Tributes have poured in after the son of former Chelsea star Eddie Newton was found dead alongside his friend following a hike in the UAE, where temperatures soared to 50C.

Cassius Newton, 34, and his friend Aran Martinson, 33, were found by rescuers on July 18 after setting out on a hike in the mountainous Wadi Naqab region.

The pair, from Dorset and Essex respectively, both lived and worked in the UAE. Their bodies were discovered between 3km and 4km from their vehicle.

Their provisional causes of death included cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Cassius, a non-league footballer, was the son of former Chelsea midfielder and coach Eddie Newton, who spent more than a decade with the club.

His wife was in the UK when she became concerned after Cassius failed to contact her following the hike and reported him missing.

The two men had been living at a luxury resort in Ras Al Khaimah.

Tributes after desert tragedy

Tributes poured in after the deaths.

Aran’s wife described him as “incredibly driven, hardworking and ambitious”, saying he had recently begun a new chapter in his career and was excited about the future.

Blackfield & Langley Football Club paid tribute to their former player, saying: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news of the passing of former player Cassius Newton; our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”

National League club Eastleigh, where Cassius had previously played, said it was “deeply saddened” by his death.

Chelsea connection

Cassius’ father Eddie Newton played for Chelsea from 1990 to 2001 and famously scored in the club’s 1997 FA Cup final victory.

The former midfielder also represented Cardiff City, Birmingham City, Oxford United and Barnet.

After retiring as a player, Newton moved into coaching, working as assistant manager at MK Dons and West Brom before returning to Chelsea.

He later served as assistant manager under Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael Benítez.

(With inputs from BBC, The Sun)

Abu Dhabi T10 has announced a strategic content partnership with DRM (Dot Republic Media), the world’s number one cricket digital network and one of YouTube’s largest multi-channel networks, with more than 600 channels and 190 million combined subscribers.

Across its sports ecosystem built on partnerships with leading cricket federations and broadcasters worldwide, DRM reaches over 20 million subscribers and delivered more than 10 billion impressions and 2 billion views in 2025 alone.

Under this partnership, DRM will deliver year-round content for Abu Dhabi T10 across its YouTube network, keeping the T10 product in front of fans well beyond the tournament window, growing viewership and audiences in key markets, and building deeper engagement with a new generation of cricket fans.

For Abu Dhabi T10 2026, which will run November 7-20 at the UAE capital’s iconic Zayed Cricket Stadium the partnership means ‘Cricket’s Fastest Format’® is now programmed on YouTube 365 days a year, not only across the thirteen days of the tournament. A team of dedicated content experts will deliver player features, on-field highlights and re-lives drawn from archival seasons, distributed simultaneously across the network’s channels, and targeted at cricket’s largest digital markets.

It is a deliberate move from a traditional distribution model to a digital-first one. Rather than reaching supporters only through intermediaries, Abu Dhabi T10 will hold a direct line to its audience, every week of the year, on the platform where cricket’s next generation already watches the game.

Matt Boucher, CEO of the tournament’s owners Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub (ADCSH) and Abu Dhabi T10, said the expanded distribution strategy was another key piece of the wider platform now being built around the tournament.

“Global reach is fundamental to the ambition we have for Abu Dhabi T10, and our partnership with DRM gives us the digital connectivity needed to engage the next generation of cricket fans,” explained Boucher.

“Piece by piece, we are building a compelling new platform for the tournament – one that creates greater international visibility, stronger commercial opportunities, and a powerful showcase for Abu Dhabi as a global destination for sport, entertainment and investment.”

Muhammad Adnan Butt, CEO, DRM commented: “We are pleased to align with a tournament that understands where content consumption is going. Abu Dhabi T10 is an innovative format, built for the way audiences watch sport today, and that shared view is what makes this partnership work. We look forward to putting the Abu Dhabi T10 in front of our creators and our sports audience every month of the year.”

Imran Khan, CEO, Apex Sports Consulting which co-ordinated the partnership added: “We are thrilled to bring this collaboration with two partners who have done so much for the growth of the game. Digital-first is the future of the sport, and there is no better way to access that than through this platform. Apex is building this distribution model across cricket, and this is what digital-first looks like in practice.”