FIA president Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that plans are in place to make a controversial change to the F1 race calendar ‘very, very soon’.
The 2024 season will see a record 24 Grands Prix being run, with some drivers having previously questioned whether there are now too many races.
The Grands Prix now span across four different continents, with the FIA keen to further grow the sport’s presence in the United States with three races – in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas – currently held there.
There are also talks about a further race in South America, while there have been further developments over the sport returning to South Africa for the first time since 1993 and even discussions about a debut Grand Prix in Rwanda.
Should those races be added to the calendar, others would naturally be removed – especially with Domenicali stating in the past that a 24-race season is effectively the maximum that F1 can logistically stretch to.
The FIA’s primary focus is now the 10 European races that are currently held.
With even more circuits in Europe wanting to host a Grand Prix – Madrid is set to be added to the calendar in 2026 – there has long been debate over whether certain tracks will be rotated each season.
Domenicali has now stated that is part of the FIA’s plan in a call with Liberty Media investors (quotes via Autosport): “We have some news to share very, very soon with regard to the possibility in the mid-term to have some rotational European Grand Prix and some other new options coming later.
“This is something that, of course, we will clarify in the due course. It is true that we have a large demand of new possible venues that wants to come in.
“We believe that the balance we have in terms of numbers [of races] is the right one, so 24 is the balanced number that we feel is right.
“I do believe that all the propositions that are coming on our table is just giving us the possibility to make even better choices for our future.”
Many of the European circuits are some of the most popular on the calendar, with the Belgian, Italian and British Grands Prix high on the list of the most exciting races each season.
The newly-added Azerbaijan Grand Prix – which was known as the European Grand Prix in its first season – has also thrown up entertainment, while the threat of changeable conditions at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, makes that another fan favourite.
Many European circuits do rely on holding F1 races each year in a financial sense, with difficulties in that regard meaning the likes of the Hockenheimring in Germany are now unable to host Grands Prix.
The Hockenheimring in Germany hasn’t hosted a Grand Prix since 2014 – Getty
While the situation for circuits is improved today given the increase in popularity of F1 – you only have to go back 15 years to see when Melbourne’s Albert Park recorded a staggering loss of $40 million in one year that threatened the sport’s participation in Australia entirely, and when Silverstone requested government support to help it fund the race-hosting fee – financial difficulties are still a problem for some circuits.
And fans are largely less than happy with the proposals.
Taking to Twitter, one wrote: “It’s the start. Classic staple F1 tracks will be replaced by soulless street circuits that have the biggest wallets.”
A second added: “Rotate the street tracks, these cars are not made for narrow street circuits!”
A third said: “That actually makes a championship harder. There’s removed predictability of development.”
While a fourth stated: “The idea in itself isn’t awful. Especially if it meant we could go to some currently unused European tracks. But we all know we’re going to end up with a load of street circuits in uninspiring locations.”
What do you think about the FIA’s plans for the F1 race calendar? Are there any tracks that must stay? Let us know in the comments below.