Historic European circuit to get shortened contract – This season two circuits entered the final year of their F1 contracts, but both Silverstone and Suzuka have now renewed into the future. The home of the first ever Formula One race in 1950 has agreed a new ten year deal which will see racing in the Northamptonshire countryside well into the next decade.
Suzuka meanwhile agreed only a five year deal, which is usually as sign F1 is demanding medium term improvements of the circuit. In a recent call with Liberty Media investors, F1’s CEO Stefano Domenicali claimed big changes were coming to the F1 calendar.
“For ’26 and beyond, we will have some news to share very, very soon regarding the possibility, in the mid-term, to rotate some European grands prix, and some other new options coming later. This is something we will clarify in due course.”
European races to rotate
“It is true we have a large demand of possible new venues that want to come in. Our choice will always be balanced between the right economic benefit we can have as a system, and also to leverage the market where we can see the potential to further grow our business,” the ex-Ferrari team boss revealed.
There are now five circuits who will be looking to extend their time in Formula One beyond 2025, being Spa-Francorchamps, Imola, Mexico City, Monza and Zandvoort all see their current deals up for renewal at the end of 2025.
Madrid was thew latest venue announced to join the F1 calendar in 2026, although bizarrely Barcelona’s deal expires the same year. Reports from Spain suggest the promoters have as yet failed to find the required sponsorship with the threat of the tens of millions of Euros falling on the shoulders of Spanish tax payers.
In announcing the upcoming Madrid venue for the Spanish Grand Prix, F1 CEO Domenicali spoke to Formula1.com about the bumper 10-year deal the city was given to host a race stating F1 is moving from short/medium term arrangements to those more akin to the longer term commitment which Madrid and Silverstone have given.
Verstappen’s manager threatens Red Bull
Europe must host 1/3 of F1 races each year
The current Concorde agreement allows for F1 to schedule up to a maximum of 24 race weekends each year. Clearly with Barcelona and Madrid slated for 2026, something elsewhere has to give, which is where the Domenicali system of rotation comes into play.
Enshrined in each of the recent Concorde Agreements has been the clause that the European homeland of Formula One must have no less than one third of the race weekends each season. Added to the current crop Madrid now makes ten, yet further evidence of the changes to come.
The phasing of the contracts would suggest those European venue which will be forced to rotate bi-annually are those with contracts expiring next season. Spa-Francorchamps has been threatened for some time with F1 only agreeing 1-2 year deals in recent times.
Imola was recently criticised by ex-F1 driver and Sky pundit Karen Chandhok who mused while “its a fantastic place to go… but it’s too narrow for the racing nowadays, with the size of the cars we’ve got, I think F1 has outgrown it. We’re not seeing much overtaking there.”
Marko queries Ferrari decision to recruit Hamilton
Monza new deal, but just 5 years?
Zandvort has issues with the highly restricted pit lane and has been repeatedly cited by Christian Horner as a reason F1 couldn’t allow an eleventh F1 team.
One of the circuits which is expected to avoid rotation is Monza who are close to signing a new five year F1 deal according to FormulaPassion. Formula One raced there in its inaugural season in 1950 but motor racing has taken place at the famous venue for well over a hundred years.
The cathedral of speed is an iconic location located within the grounds of ancient royal hunting grounds. It is the home of the fanatical tifosi who line the circuit en masse when a Ferrari driver claims victory.
Improvements to the infrastructure around Monza were vital for the negotiations to succeed. A new underpass was required which separated vehicles and pedestrians making it safer and easier to arrive and leave the circuit.
Bottas surprise new career options
Hamilton at Ferrari next time out
Negotiations between ACI Sport – who are the governing body for motorsport in Italy – and F1 are reportedly “well underway” with an announcement expected “shortly.”
The only surprise is the term of the new deal being just five years, which in the modern era suggests F1 has further demands from the organisers to improve the circuit facilities.
Racing an F1 car in the Royal Park is a unique experience and particularly for the drivers of the scarlet Ferrari team. Charles Leclerc experienced the tifos’s adulation this year as he led the field home after the battling McLaren’s handed him the lead of the race.
Lewis Hamilton will be in red for next year, the first time in his nineteen year F1 career. Hamilton has five wins at the historic circuit although his most recent success over the past six years was a pole position during the interrupted 2020 season.
Fastest ever F1 lap
The future driver for the Scuderia set the fastest ever lap at the circuit by an F1 car in 2020. He hit 164.267 miles an hour along the front straight, some 0.775 kph quicker than Kim Raikkonen two years earlier. The 1:18.887 lap time stands today and pole this year for 1:19.327, almost half a second slower than Hamilton’s record.
When asked this year how the feeling was in Monza since his deal with Ferrari, the seven times world champion admitted things had changed.
“I’m not going to lie, it definitely does feel a little bit different,” he told F1.com. “I mean, it always feels special when you come here. We’re coming here at a decent time in terms of the weather’s incredible today, obviously the huge changes they’ve made to the track.
“But as Charles [Leclerc] was saying, there’s always such incredible passion throughout Italy, just in the culture in general but particularly about racing. It’s always exciting just to see the fans that we’re going to see throughout the weekend. The passion here and the excitement that they really bring to this race is really not particularly matched in too many places.”
Historic F1 Monza moments
Monza has seen some iconic events such as in 2008 when an unknown Sebastian Vettel brought his torso Rosso home to victory.
Then there was the Ferrari 1-2 in 1988, the only race which did not see a McLaren take the chequered flag.
This year too marked another historic moment at the old motor racing circuit, as Fresh from his maiden F1 victory in Belgium, Charles Leclerc headed to Monza for his first Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver. What followed must have felt like a dream as he secured a memorable win in front of the passionate tifosi – Ferrari’s first triumph at the venue since Fernando Alonso in 2010.
With Monza’s place in F1 secure until at least 2030, all eyes will be on the other European circuits yet to extend their deals beyond next season.
Ocon makes serious allegations against Alpine
Newey replacement “not confident” for 2025
Adrian Newey will officially end his Red Bull career on the 28th February 2025 although his input into the Formula One team in Milton Keynes ceased when the date was announced early May this year.
There is an element of mystery about exactly how much input the guru F1 car designer has had in recent years since he ceded his role as the team’s technical director in 2018. This followed a period of disillusionment for Newey with Formula One, driven mostly by the uncompetitive nature of their Renault powered engine.
Clearly what is the point of designing the most advanced aerodynamic F1 car when it has too little oomph in the power department to make a difference. So Adrian was allowed to collaborate with Aston Martin over a hyper car as Wache took over the day to day running of the design team… READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
