From the spectacular Velocity Park in Qiddiya, to the return of the South African Grand Prix and the timeless rumours of a race in London, listed below are all the most recent rumours about which tracks might quickly earn a spot on the F1 calendar.
Header Picture: Qiddiya Media
Within the ever-evolving world of Method 1, nothing stays static for too lengthy. That features the collection of circuits on which the game races on. Because the flip of the millennium, 17 new venues have joined the F1 calendar, whereas a handful of different tracks – together with Zandvoort within the Netherlands and Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico Metropolis – have made welcome returns.
Another tracks, like Hanoi Road Circuit in Vietnam and Igora Drive in Russia, have signed contracts with Method 1 however have by no means been raced on, whereas different rumoured venues have by no means made concrete plans to safe a place on the calendar.
When Will New Circuits Be part of the F1 Calendar?
What we all know for sure – barring any unexpected circumstances – is that no new circuits might be becoming a member of the F1 calendar in 2025. All 24 races that are being staged within the 2024 season have contracts to return to the schedule subsequent 12 months. Beneath the present industrial settlement, the F1 calendar is capped at 24 rounds for the 2025 season.
It’s potential that when the brand new industrial settlement is signed, the utmost variety of rounds will enhance from 24. It’s unlikely to go any increased than 25, nonetheless, as crew bosses and personnel have already expressed considerations over workload with many feeling that 24 races per season is already pushing the bounds.
Not too long ago, Method 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali hinted that some European rounds might start to be held biennially, alternating with each other. It’s rumoured that the Belgian and Dutch Grands Prix would be the first races to alternate, beginning in 2026. If that’s the case and – as well as – F1 doesn’t renew its contract with outgoing present Spanish Grand Prix host Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (which might be changed with a brand new observe in Madrid in 2026), there might be at the very least one obtainable slot on the 2026 F1 calendar for a brand new race to happen.
So, which tracks are in pole place to take up any probably vacant slots on the Method 1 calendar? Listed here are all the most recent rumours about which circuits are vying for a spot on the schedule.
Qiddiya Velocity Park, Saudi Arabia
When Jeddah Corniche Circuit joined the Method 1 calendar to host the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021, it was by no means meant to be a long-term everlasting venue. As a substitute, there are grand ambitions for a brand new observe close to Qiddiya’s Six Flags theme park, round 60km south-west of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh.
Photographs: Qiddiya Media
Beneath building since 2019 and initially anticipated to open in 2023, the 21-turn observe is being designed by Hermann Tilke’s firm with enter from former driver, Alexander Wurz. The structure is anticipated to have loads of undulation – together with a 20-storey excessive first flip – and will exceed Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps because the longest observe on the F1 calendar.
With loads of building work nonetheless to finish, the observe is just not anticipated to be prepared till 2028 on the earliest. In January 2023, race organisers confirmed that the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would stay at Jeddah Corniche Circuit till at the very least 2027.
Istanbul Park, Turkey
After a nine-year absence, the Turkish Grand Prix made a welcome return to the Method 1 calendar amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The occasion returned to the calendar once more in 2021 following the cancellation of the Singapore Grand Prix. The 2021 race was the primary open to the general public on the observe since 2011 and had a weekend attendance of 190,000.
Now, it’s understood that Turkey is eager for its Grand Prix to return to the schedule as soon as extra. In early March 2024, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a gathering by which the return of each the World Rally Championship and Method 1 was mentioned.
It’s believed that the push for a return of the Turkish Grand Prix has come on account of Intercity’s leasehold of the observe expiring and the tender demanding that the brand new house owners will safe the circuit a slot on the Method 1 calendar from 2026.
Kyalami, South Africa
The potential return of the South African Grand Prix has dominated speculative headlines in recent times. The occasion was final held over 30 years in the past, in 1993. Kyalami appeared set to return to the calendar in 2023, till a deal to convey the race again fell via in August 2022.
Regardless of quite a few setbacks, it’s understood that Method 1 stays eager to return to South Africa, ideally on the Kyalami circuit, the previous host of the occasion positioned simply north of Johannesburg. In June final 12 months, Autosport reported that F1 had paused plans to revive the occasion in 2024 however remained open to including the race to the 2025 calendar.
Chicago, United States
In early 2024, Chicago was rumoured to be lined as much as grow to be the fourth race in the US on the Method 1 calendar.
The hearsay emerged when Method 1 utilized to trademark the title ‘Chicago Grand Prix’ and ‘Grand Prix of Chicago’; one thing which it has beforehand performed prematurely of different new race bulletins, like these in Miami, Las Vegas and Madrid.
The applying for a trademark doesn’t essentially affirm that F1 is contemplating internet hosting a race in Chicago. NASCAR just lately introduced that it will race on a avenue observe in Chicago. Method 1 might have utilized for the trademark to cease the sequence utilizing the ‘Grand Prix’ title for its occasion.
Metropolis officers have mentioned that internet hosting an F1 race in Chicago is unlikely as a consequence of a “non-negotiable” minimal 10-year contract. Notably, F1 beforehand trademarked the title ‘New York Grand Prix’ in late 2017, however there stays but to be any concrete plans for a race in New York.
Osaka, Japan
In January 2024, it was reported that officers in Osaka had been seeking to convey Method 1 to the streets of the Japanese metropolis. Osaka’s tourism board introduced their plans and mentioned their intentions in a press convention.
Particular plans past the preliminary formal announcement are but to emerge, and little or no has been heard concerning the venture since Method 1 introduced a five-year contract extension with Suzuka – present host of the Japanese Grand Prix – in February 2024. Hiroshi Mizohata, president of Osaka’s tourism board mentioned that the announcement had “no impression” on plans for an Osaka race.
London, Britain
The hearsay that by no means totally goes away: the London Grand Prix. Might Method 1 feasibly maintain a race within the British capital? It’s troublesome to think about a part of the town shutting right down to host F1 every year.
In 2023, Stefano Domenicali mentioned that an F1 race in London could be “nice” however added that there had been no discussions with any potential race promoters.
Silverstone just lately signed a brand new contract to host the British Grand Prix for an additional ten years, via to 2034. It implies that if London had been to affix the calendar, it will achieve this as a further spherical to the Silverstone race.
Balaton Park Circuit, Hungary
Balaton Park Circuit, positioned round 85km from Budapest, might try to take the Hungarian Grand Prix away from its long-term host sooner or later. The Hungaroring – host of the Hungarian Grand Prix in yearly for the reason that occasion joined the F1 calendar in 1986 – at present holds a contract to host Hungary’s Grand Prix till 2032.
The brand new 4.115km observe – designed to FIA Grade 1 requirements – opened in Might 2023 and is because of host the Superbike World Championship for the primary time in 2024, in addition to being the reserve venue for the MotoGP championship.
Board members say that internet hosting F1 is just not a “essential goal”, however added that the observe is “prepared for any type of motorsport occasion”.
Barranquilla, Colombia
Stefano Domenicali visited Barranquilla in Colombia in late 2022, to have a look at completely different choices for observe areas inside the metropolis for a possible “Caribbean Grand Prix”.
In 2023, chatting with the Colombian outlet Semana TV, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya mentioned {that a} deal to make the Colombian Grand Prix a actuality was “95% performed” earlier than F1, in line with Montoya, opted so as to add Madrid to the calendar as an alternative. Within the interview, Montoya mentioned it was nonetheless a chance that the circuit – the structure of which had already been determined – might be a part of the calendar by 2028.
Gujarat, India
If there’s a mass market which Method 1 has not capitalised on, it’s absolutely India. The Indian Grand Prix was on the Method 1 calendar for simply three seasons between 2011 and 2013 on the troublesome to achieve Buddh Worldwide Circuit however the race was discontinued in 2014 as a consequence of monetary and bureaucratic points.
In early 2024, it was reported that the federal government of Gujarat hoped to convey Method 1 to its state and had invited proposals to discover a appropriate location for a brand new observe inside the under-construction Gujarat Worldwide Finance Tec-Metropolis.
After all, a return to the Buddh Worldwide Circuit is just not solely out of the query. MotoGP visited the circuit, which has retained its FIA Grade 1 standing, for the primary time in 2023.
