Since US-based Liberty Media took over F1 in 2017, it has made untapping the collection’ potential in America certainly one of its key priorities, including races in Miami and Las Vegas to its current grand prix in Austin.
Within the wake of F1’s recognition increase, an enormous variety of American sponsors have flocked to the collection, with HP the latest to leap on board with Ferrari.
Final 12 months’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, which F1 promoted itself, additionally turned out to be large business success, fuelling rumours that the collection was eager on including a fourth occasion within the nation.
However Autosport understands that whereas F1 is eager to proceed its development within the US, it’s proud of its present unfold of races within the Americas. That additionally embody standard occasions in Montreal, Mexico Metropolis and Sao Paulo.
Wild rumours of a brand new race in Chicago by 2026 have been firmly shot down.
As a substitute, the collection is wanting on the Far East as a market that’s nonetheless underserved.
Mechanics make ultimate preparations on the grid earlier than the beginning
Picture by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images
The Malaysian Grand Prix disappeared in 2017 to depart simply Singapore, Japan and China on the calendar, whereas efforts to convey F1 to Vietnam did not come to fruition.
Thailand seems to be a contender for a brand new race in South East Asia following talks in April between prime minister Srettha Thavisin and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
The Thai authorities is eager on a avenue race in Bangkok to spice up tourism, with Thai-owned Pink Bull understood to be a key participant behind the scenes in making the race occur.
There have additionally been talks with the South Korean port metropolis of Incheon a few return of F1 to the Korean peninsula from 2026 or 2027 onwards.
What F1’s Asian push means for the prevailing races
Whereas curiosity in new occasions stays excessive worldwide, Domenicali has harassed he’s not increasing the schedule past the present variety of 24 races, with a most variety of 25 enshrined in business agreements.
“We presently imagine a 24-race schedule is the optimum variety of occasions,” Domenicali instructed Wall Avenue analysts earlier this month.
Increasing additional in Imola to the Italian press, he added: “We’re seeing quite a lot of curiosity from quite a lot of international locations in Method 1, and this clearly represents a chance for improvement. On the similar time, it places us beneath an obligation to make selections when it comes to the calendar.
Sergio Perez, Pink Bull Racing
Picture by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
“We’re seeing a rising curiosity within the Far East and the USA, but in addition a revival in Europe, likely because of Madrid, which gave a shake-up simply when everybody thought that no person on the Outdated World was thinking about doing one thing new.”
It seems to be clear that one thing should give, then, with a number of European races out of contract after 2025, together with the Italian races at Imola and Monza in addition to the Benelux pairing of Belgium and the Netherlands.
Regardless of Max Verstappen‘s immense recognition, rotating Zandvoort and Spa continues to be believed to be an choice from 2026 onwards, even when Spa’s investments in its services and fan expertise have given the latter a lift.
Monza can be investing in its ageing infrastructure, whereas Imola – which is reportedly nonetheless hoping to get better its cancelled 2023 version in 2026 – nonetheless has quite a lot of catching as much as do. Domenicali acknowledged it could be a problem for each traditional Italian venues to remain.
“Italy is central to the F1 calendar, however we have to deal with vital points associated to the assets the nation intends to speculate and the infrastructure, as a result of we have to change tempo by bettering the protection of the tracks and the providers supplied to the general public,” he instructed La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“On the finish of August, at Monza, we are going to take inventory with authorities establishments and [Italian automobile federation] ACI. It’s nonetheless doable that Italy will preserve two races after 2026, however realistically I feel it will likely be fairly troublesome.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Barcelona, which nonetheless has a contract till 2026, can be feeling the warmth from F1’s new race in Madrid that may debut the identical 12 months.
A brand new-for-2024 fan occasion within the coronary heart of the Catalan capital, together with a demo run on its historic Paseo de Gracia, will go a way in direction of impressing F1, however individuals who have attended the race in recent times will argue Montmelo’s services are nonetheless caught in direction of the rear of F1’s midfield.
The native authorities have just lately greenlit a deal for occasion organiser Fira de Barcelona, which co-hosts the annual Cellular World Congress, to take over the circuit’s operations and make it much less depending on its motor racing actions alone.
The combat to stay on the calendar will not be essentially one between outdated and new or between conventional racing circuits and stylish avenue races, as has usually been portrayed.
As a substitute, beneath Liberty Media the collection has massively raised its requirements when it comes to what it expects from a contemporary F1 venue, together with fan expertise, circuit infrastructure, resort capability, transportation, hospitality and sustainability efforts.
Which means the “Outdated World”, as Domenicali calls it, has wanted to meet up with well-heeled occasions within the Center East and the Americas, which is simpler to do for venues that may boast beneficiant authorities subsidies.
Begin motion
Picture by: Alfa Romeo
It’s no coincidence that the well-backed Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, which can be investing closely in a modernised paddock constructing and grandstands, has signed a contract extension till 2032 as one of many few European races to acquire long-term safety.
Domenicali was very clear that venues want to purchase into F1’s imaginative and prescient of what a grand prix ought to appear like in 2024, or threat lacking out.
“The work performed on the Hungaroring circuit confirms that Method 1’s actions are serving to to boost the bar for services that had remained considerably sedentary through the years,” he mentioned.
“I say this in a really constructive approach: if there is no such thing as a will to speculate, work and make tasks collectively, even in the long run, there will likely be a threat of shedding Method 1.
“By the top of this 12 months we can have some vital selections to make.”