The innovation, supported by the CEO of the circus Stefano Domenicali, will start in 2026. There will remain 24 GPs, but some races, such as that of Spa, will not be held every year. And Imola is also at risk
Formula One will race at Spa four times in the next six years. Thanks (or fault) to the new “rotation” system which will allow the European circuits to remain on the calendar alternating with other tracks. The innovation, strongly supported by the CEO of the circus Stefano Domenicali, will start in 2026 with the aim of not exceeding the current number of 24 races per season and may soon involve various facilities on the Old Continent. Although rotation is not a completely new option in F.1 (in Germany until 2010 Hockenheim and Nurburgring shared the race), that of the Belgian track, which will not be on the calendar in the 2028 and 2030 seasons, is a ‘absence that makes noise.
Imola and Barcelona
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In recent years, Formula One has in fact signed rich agreements with the promoters of GPs outside Europe – just think that Qatar alone shells out over 50 million dollars annually to secure a place on the calendar until 2030 – and tracks like Spa, supported exclusively by local government, struggle to satisfy the growing economic demands of the Formula One Group, having to settle for alternating with other events. A similar fate could soon also befall Imola – close to entering the “rotation” system after the renewal of Monza until 2031 – as well as Barcelona, the main suspect for the alternation with the Belgian Grand Prix after having been overtaken by the new Madrid GP.
how many suitors
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Although there are negative sides, behind the introduction of rotation between circuits there is F.1’s desire not to increase the number of Grands Prix on the calendar. The boom in popularity that the circus has been witnessing in recent years has meant that the countries interested in hosting a race have grown exponentially, with Kuwait, South Africa, Thailand and South Korea ready to offer millions in order to grab a slot on the calendar. European promoters thus have no choice but to choose whether to increase their financial contribution (Monaco has agreed to shell out 30 million per season compared to 15 in previous renewals) or accept the compromise.
opportunity
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At the same time, the rotation system could represent an opportunity for organizers who have so far been unable to secure a permanent GP. The presence of some “free” slots on the calendar would in fact allow countries like Germany, still without a race despite the presence of two German manufacturers on the grid from 2026 (Mercedes and Audi), to guarantee their own Grand Prix even with an investment significantly reduced in cost compared to the past. This is how the Formula One of the future goes.
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