Racing
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Formula 1 is making it clear that a grand prix is not a “done deal” just because a government says it is. With Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO and president, holding the line on a 24-race calendar, most of the schedule already tied down until at least 2032, and long contracts in places like the Red Bull Ring, Melbourne, Madrid, Bahrain and Montreal, new bidders now have to show they can support a race for five to 10 years, not just one flashy season.
Domenicali spelled that out when asked by Motorsport.com about going to new markets. “One of the points that is relevant is not a peak of one year,” Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO and president, said in that discussion with Motorsport.com. “It’s about how we can have the assurance that when we go to a new place, there is a vision for multiple years to be there and there has to be a relevant market.” He then set the bar more clearly. “We cannot go to a place where maybe they have a peak of one year that is fantastic, and the year after, what is the business plan? What is your fan base? What is your commercial status that is giving you the confidence that being there for five or 10 is there? So, we need to see that proof,” Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO and president, added in the same discussion with Motorsport.com.
That stance helps explain why recent public claims from would-be hosts have gone nowhere. According to the source article, comments from Indian officials that F1 would return in 2027 were news to F1 management and were swiftly dismissed. The same article said similarly fanciful claims have regularly come from South Africa. Argentina also appears some way off. According to the source article, Buenos Aires is first trying to stage MotoGP at the renovated Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez, and while Franco Colapinto’s arrival has stirred interest, there is no guarantee the 2026 Alpine driver will still be on the grid by the time Argentina would be ready.
F1’s position is backed by the shape of its contracts. According to the source article, the majority of the calendar is secured until at least 2032. Austria’s Red Bull Ring runs until 2041, and Melbourne, Madrid, Bahrain and Montreal are all locked in for at least another decade. Domenicali said that is not just about stability for F1, but about forcing promoters to improve what they already have. “First of all, I do it because we do believe in that market. But secondly, it’s because we can ask the promoter to invest. Otherwise, if you had an agreement of three years, how can you push the promoter to invest?” Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO and president, said on investor calls, according to the source article.
He pointed to projects already in motion. “There is a lot of interest from other regions, but we are quite set in terms of people that trust us with a long-term investment, which we believe is good,” Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO and president, said in the same discussion, according to the source article. He added that Miami will build a new hospitality area in the next couple of years, Australia will get a new paddock and new facilities next year, and that Hungary and Austin are in the same position.
There is still interest from new markets. According to the source article, Thailand and South Korea have presented solid-looking plans with major investment for street races in Bangkok and Incheon. Neither is close to completion. Thailand has been delayed by recent political upheaval, while Incheon depends on upcoming mayoral elections.
The United States is another example of F1 choosing balance over expansion. According to the source article, there is interest from New York, Chicago and San Francisco, but Domenicali does not want to add more races there for now. “I think there is a lot of interest in the US from other places, that is growing,” Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO and president, said in that discussion, according to the source article. He also made clear that any move would likely depend on an existing event dropping away. “We need to be mindful. Of course, if in the future we don’t have Mexico anymore or other things that will happen in that region of the world, we may consider. By the way, they want to renew. But more [races] now, I think would not be balanced,” Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO and president, said in the same discussion, according to the source article.