Stefano Domenicali suggests that Imola could disappear from the calendar while world interest is growing.
F1 currently runs in Monza and Imola in Italy. Imola’s contract expires at the end of 2025. Thailand, South Africa and Rwanda are interested in reaching the F1 calendar
Stefano Domenicali, director general of Formula 1, said that Imola could disappear from the series calendar at the end of this season.
In an interview with Rai Radio in Italy, Domenicali revealed that the growing interest of other countries for the organization of Formula 1 races meant that difficult decisions should be made with regard to the calendar.
“Italy has always been and will remain an important element of Formula 1”said Mr. Domenicali. “It will be increasingly difficult to organize two races in the same country because the interest in F1 increases and it is a situation that we will have to face in the coming months.
This is a situation that we will have to manage in the coming months. It is difficult for this situation of Imola and Monza to continue to appear together on the calendar for a long time. ”
-Only Italy and the United States are hosting more than one race in the current calendar, and the series is unlikely to seek to reduce the number of races in this last country immediately, given the size of the market.
Three races – Imola, Mexico and Las Vegas – have contracts that expire at the end of this season. From this trio, Imola seems to be the most likely to be removed from the calendar, because Formula 1 would continue to run in Monza to maintain its presence in Italy.
Madrid will host the Spanish Grand Prix from next season, but the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit has an ongoing contract to host a Formula 1 race one more year, so there will be two Grands Prix in Spain next year.
But it is unlikely that this situation will continue beyond 2026, so that Formula 1 will avoid organizing two races in the same country in time so that the new markets have a real chance to integrate the calendar. The Grand Prix of the Netherlands in Zandvoort will also disappear at the end of the 2026 season, thus releasing space.
Among the countries interested in the registration in the calendar of Formula 1, Thailand is the one whose discussions are the most advanced, even if it will not make its debut in 2027 or 2028 at the earliest.
The championship also studies the possibility of a return to Africa, South Africa working on an application and Rwanda also being in the ranks.
