The 2025 Formula 1 season continues to be weeks away however subsequent 12 months’s grand prix schedule is near being finalised.
Yesterday F1 introduced it had reached a brand new take care of the Belgian Grand Prix promoters to return to Spa-Francorchamps subsequent 12 months.
With a brand new race in Madrid resulting from be part of the schedule subsequent 12 months, meaning 22 of the 24 slots on the 2026 F1 calendar have been accounted for. Three races on the present schedule are but to ink offers for subsequent season. So which ones is most susceptible to lacking out?
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Imola
The Covid-19 pandemic handed many European venues a possibility to quickly be part of the F1 calendar. The Nurburgring, Autodromo do Algarve and Mugello all quickly hosted races.
However solely Imola efficiently used its race as a platform to safe a longer-term deal past the disrupted 2020 and 2021 seasons. F1 handed it a deal to host races till not less than this 12 months.
In consequence Italy now has two rounds of the world championship, because it beforehand did between 1981 and 2006. However that will not final.
Italy’s different F1 venue, Monza, has heritage on its aspect. It has solely been absent from the F1 calendar as soon as because the world championship started. Monza will proceed to carry races till not less than 2031 having prolonged its deal final 12 months.
However what of Imola? Its 2023 race didn’t go forward resulting from flooding, and the promoters had been hopeful that will entitle them to a spot on the 2026 calendar. That’s but to be confirmed, nonetheless.
Past that, a risk exists for Imola to return as a part-time race. Yesterday Method One Administration introduced the Belgian Grand Prix will solely be held in odd-numbered years from 2027, leaving open the chance F1 may return to Imola in 2028 and 2030.
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Mexican Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Purple Bull’s determination to drop Sergio Perez was a blow to the promoters of the Mexican Grand Prix, as there is not going to be a house driver on the grid for this 12 months’s race. It stays to be seen how considerably the lack of Perez will have an effect on ticket gross sales for the race, as F1 has had not less than one Mexican driver in its area yearly because the race returned to the F1 calendar in 2015 after a 23-year absence.
Given the lack of a ‘banker’ star draw comparable to Perez, it could be no shock if the promoters bought chilly toes in regards to the prices of bringing F1 again. They produce other choices to showcase native expertise in top-level collection: NASCAR will race on the observe for the primary time in June, bringing Mexican Daniel Suarez. IndyCar has raced there earlier than and would convey Monterrey’s Pato O’Ward in the event that they return.
Nevertheless there’s one key issue within the race’s favour in the event that they hope to proceed internet hosting F1. Claudia Sheinbaum, who helped agree the last deal to keep the race going when she was mayor of Mexico Metropolis, was elected the nation’s president in October.
Las Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas Strip Circuit
The Las Vegas Strip Circuit doesn’t formally have a deal in place for F1 to proceed racing in 2026, however there are few obstacles to the occasion securing a contract extension. In any case, that is the one spherical of the world championship promoted by Method One Administration itself.
F1 introduced a three-year deal for the race starting in 2023. Nevertheless the town later gave F1 permission to proceed utilizing the general public roads it requires for its races until at least 2032. This approval is barely granted for “the week previous to the Thanksgiving vacation in November”, so the race will proceed to be held in the identical calendar slot.
It might subsequently be a shock to see the Las Vegas Grand Prix drop from the calendar. Though there’s some native stress from companies who’re sad in regards to the disruption it causes, it isn’t prone to jeopardise a contract extension for a race F1 has invested vital sums in launching.
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25 races?
There may be a substitute for F1 eliminating one in every of these races: It may lengthen the calendar but once more.
Method One Administration CEO Stefano Domenicali has repeatedly acknowledged he doesn’t want to transcend 24 races. However the F1 calendar has been prolonged so many occasions prior to now it could be silly to rule out the chance it may occur once more.
The assorted agreements which bind FOM, the FIA and the groups are up for renewal on the finish of this 12 months, so the chance for the calendar to be expanded past the present most exists.
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