Europe's great F1 weekends in 2027 – Monaco, Silverstone, Spa and Monza compared

The 2027 Formula 1 season is scheduled to run to twenty-four Grands Prix around the world, but for many fans four European weekends matter more than the rest. Monaco, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Monza were all on the calendar in 1950, the championship's first year, and each has become a pilgrimage of a different kind. Choosing between them is less about the racing than about the weekend you want around it.

Monaco: the harbour and the hotels (4–6 June 2027)

The Monaco Grand Prix has been run since 14 April 1929 and forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport with the Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours. The circuit is laid out in the streets of the principality, narrow and full of elevation changes and tight corners, with the tunnel as its signature. Average speeds are relatively low, but the narrow track makes it one of the most demanding on the calendar, and the safety car often intervenes. What Monaco offers above all is setting: the harbour, the hotels and terraces above the track, and the yachts below. In 2027 it is also a sprint weekend.

Best for: those who want the race to be part of a Riviera stay. Our guide to the principality is at vpios.com/monaco.

Silverstone: where the championship began (2–4 July 2027)

The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was round one of the very first World Championship. The circuit was built on a wartime bomber station, RAF Silverstone, whose three runways still lie within the outline of the track, and it has been the race's permanent home since 1987. It sits in the Northamptonshire countryside, straddling the border with Buckinghamshire. It is a sprint weekend in 2027.

Best for: fans who want a full weekend at the track, perhaps with a country-house hotel nearby.

Spa-Francorchamps: the Ardennes (23–25 July 2027)

Spa is the longest of the four circuits at 7.004 kilometres, set near Francorchamps, about 8 kilometres from the town of Spa. It hosted its first Grand Prix in 1925 and was on the first F1 calendar in 1950. Its Eau Rouge and Raidillon sequence – the fast uphill sweep created in 1939 – is one of the most famous in racing. So is the weather: it once rained at the Belgian Grand Prix for twenty years running, and it is common for one part of the track to be dry while another is wet. Spa is on the 2027 calendar as part of a rotation with Barcelona, which takes the even years 2028, 2030 and 2032.

Best for: purists, and anyone who wants scenery and racing in equal measure. Pack waterproofs whatever the forecast.

Monza: the Temple of Speed (3–5 September 2027)

The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, built in 1922 in the park of the Royal Villa of Monza, north of Milan, was the world's fourth purpose-built motor racing circuit and the oldest in mainland Europe. Its long straights and high-speed corners earned it the name Temple of Speed. Every World Championship Italian Grand Prix has been held here except in 1980, and the race is due to stay until at least 2031. The old high-speed oval, with its steep banking, still stands within the site, restored in the 2010s after decades of decay. Monza is a sprint weekend in 2027.

Best for: history and a weekend in Milan. Our guide to Milan's restaurants helps with the evenings.

Planning the weekend

Buy tickets and book hotels together, and early. Decide whether you want a grandstand seat with a view of one section or general admission that lets you move around. At Monaco, terraces and hospitality above the track are their own market. Everywhere, plan transport carefully – arriving and leaving are part of the day. More journeys in our travel section and on metromode.co.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.