Verstappen dismisses re-introduction of historic F1 circuit – Since the introduction of the Las Vegas Grand Prix two and a half years ago, Liberty Media have found the cupboard rather bare in terms of more new venues, with the exception of the inaugural 2026 Spanish Grand Prix at a new facility in Madrid. Yet the bid from the Spanish capital city to prise their national F1 race away from the Catalan centre in Barcelona has not been smooth.
Recent reports suggest the commercial backing for the build has been none existent and the Mayor of Madrid was forced to publicly state the race would be funded by the tax payers if necessary. The publication this month of the 2026 F1 calendar has the Madrid event scheduled for after the F1 summer break while for now Barcelona which will be in its final year of contract moves to June.
Following the Canadian Grand Prix, reports from the far east emerged that Thailand is putting together a $1.23m bid to host and F1 race in the capital city of Bangkok. While the country has a purpose built race circuit which hosts Moto GP, many F1 fans will be disappointed to hear the location for the F1 track will be around the streets of the oriental capital city. Hopes are the inaugural event will take place in 2028.
African GP a baby step closer
This week the news broke that whats left of the historic Kyalami circuit in South Africa has had its plans for upgrade to Grade 1 standards have been approved by the FIA. It is just one of three African nations hoping to host the F1 circus although last month Stefano Domenicali indicated a commercial deal to become a host remains a “long way off.”
With the maximum agreed number of F1 races at 24 now reached, new circuits will mean existing ones will have to make way and lose their slot on the F1 calendar. Already Belgium and its iconic Spa-Francorchamp circuit has been forced to agree a new deal which will see them host F1 on a bi-annual basis from 2027 onwards.
The historic venue of Imola, which was the location of Ayrton Senna’s death has already been dropped for 2026 by F1 and Barcelona, Baku, Zandvoort and the Circuit of the Americas have one year remaining on their current F1 deals. The current trend of F1 adding street circuits to the calendar is not favoured by many F1 fans due to the size of the cars and the lack of overtaking opportunities.
Yet the latest additions of Saudi Arabia, Miami, Las Vegas and Madrid suggest the sport will continue this trend due to the marketing impact it has amongst those who live there, whether they attend the race or not. Yet Max Verstappen has railed against losing the historic circuits, arguing there should be a protected list of venues.
Verstappen calls for historic tracks protection
Speaking after his recent victory in Imola the world champion said. “Tracks like Imola are part of the DNA of Formula 1. If we start removing places like this, we risk losing the soul of the sport. The racing here is intense, the fans are incredible, and the history is unmatched. We need more circuits like this, not fewer.” He recently also suggested certain historic circuits should be protected in F1’s Concorde agreement.
Yet Formula One supremo, Stefano Domenicali who hails from the Emilia-Romagna region explained: “We are proud of our Italian heritage, but the global demand for races is immense. We must look at the future with balance.” Even the once jewel in F1’s crown, Monaco, remains under threat and the fact its new contract was for just five years (2031) and not ten like Las Vegas and others, suggests the principality will need to modify the historic track layout to make a better spectacle for the racing.
Yet there is one of F1’s most dramatic settings which Verstappen concedes will never return to the F1 calendar despite it continuing to host other forms of motorsport. The
Nordschleife constructed in 1927 earned its reputation as one of the most feared circuits in the 1960’s and 70’s with three times world champion Jackie Steward naming it ‘the green hell.”
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Feared circuit “too dangerous” says Max
Verstappen recently tested in a GT3 sports car at the 20km long circuit although he attempted to do so anonymously under the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’. When asked whether modern F1 should return to the German location, the Red Bull driver was adamant in his reply saying it was “far too dangerous”.
F1 last visited the fearsome track back in 1976 where Niki Lauda’s Ferrari exploded into a ball of fire almost costing him his life. The incident was made famous in Hollywood circles with the Ron Howard film ‘Rush’ which depicted the rivalry between British driver James Hunt and the Austrian Niki Lauda.
As Formula One reaches into ever expanding corners of the world, there is a fear that its heritage of racing in Europe will become too diminished. And given all the teams are based in Europe, the summer races on the continent offer some respite from the globe trotting the have to contend with in the Spring and Autumn.
To this end the new Concorde agreement again protects the number of races which must be held in Europe each year at one third of the total on the F1 calendar. For the first time next year the nine European races will all be held consecutively in an effort to reduce travelling and the sport’s carbon footprint.
Ever increasing number of F1 street circuits
With no new venues set to join the sport in 2027, the number of races in Europe will remain above the minimum limit of eight for another season. However, Verstappen’s home race in Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, is expected to accept a deal to rotate with Belgium in the future.
The balance between non-permanent F1 racing circuits and those designed purely for motorsport will shift in 2026, with fifteen events held at permanent venues and nine as ‘street races’ (including Australia, Miami and Canada).
The future of Formula One will see an increasing number of venues alternate with others each year as Stefano Domenicali is quoted as saying: “We could have already today more than 30, even 32 Grands Prix, because everyone wants one.” Of course the Concorde agreement restricts the annual number of F1 events to 25, but after discussions with the teams, it remains at 24 for the foreseeable future.
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Now in their longest drought without either Formula One championship, Ferrari face another year of failure and disappointment. Since the Scuderia won their last constructor’s championship, a year after Kimi Raikkonen pipped both Alonso and Hamilton by a point to the driver’s title, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes and now McLaren have all enjoyed F1 glory.
Fred Vasseur is now in his third year as team principal and despite Ferrari having the quickest car come the final six races of 2024, their SF-25 is proving a huge disappointment. Big money signing Lewis Hamilton now languishes in sixth place in the drivers title race, a whopping 119 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Charles Leclerc, the teams favourite son, is faring little better, although he has claimed the team’s three podium finishes for the Italian team. Yet by round ten in 2024, the Scuderia had racked up two Grand Prix victories together with seven podium finishes but the decision to build an entirely new car for the final year of this current set of F1 car design regulations has spectacularly backfired…. READ MORE
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If SD is looking for ‘balance’, it seems to me that THREE in the USA is definitely out of kilter!