January 8, 2025Reuters
(Reuters) – The Belgian Grand Prix held at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit has been extended until 2031 but will be held every other year from 2027, Formula 1 announced on Wednesday.
The races will take place in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031, said the premier motorsport category owned by Liberty Media.
Another grand prix will therefore need to be named in 2028 and 2030, with potential candidates elsewhere in Europe, while a rotation system for a 24-race format is introduced.
The future of Imola, Italy, and the current Spanish Grand Prix circuit near Barcelona, is uncertain, with Madrid expected to host a race from 2026 to 2035.
The Imola contract expires in 2026, while the main Italian race at Monza is confirmed until at least 2031.
The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort has already decided to withdraw from the calendar after 2026, but France, which last hosted a Grand Prix in 2022, and Germany, absent since 2020, could make a return .
Formula 1 also wishes to return to Africa for the first time since 1993, with an interest in Rwanda and South Africa, with possible expansion in Asia.
Belgium participated in the first season of the Formula 1 world championship in 1950 and the Spa circuit is, along with Monaco, Monza and Silverstone, among the historic sites.
First used in 1921, the circuit has hosted 57 Grands Prix and is the longest on the calendar with its famous descent towards the Eau Rouge and Raidillon bends as well as the long Kemmel straight.
“Spa-Francorchamps is rightly regarded by drivers and fans as one of the best circuits in the world and has hosted some incredible moments during its many seasons in Formula 1,” said Stefano Domenicali, Managing Director of F1, in a press release.
“In recent years it has undergone significant work to improve the facilities and overall fan experience,” he added.
New stands have been built in recent years on a circuit which welcomed 380,000 spectators last season.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, French version by Mara Vîlcu, editing by Kate Entringer)
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