The current Formula 1 calendar features the most races in a single season in the championship’s history and there could be more yet to come.
CEO Stefano Domenicali has been a supporter of adding more races, with the latest change recently being announced for 2026 when F1 will race at a brand new street circuit in Madrid.
Most of the circuits on the 24-race calendar currently have contracts to host Grands Prix until at least 2025, leaving little space for any additional races in the near future.
In a recent interview with AMuS, the Italian chief executive did not rule out the potential for more races to be added to the packed schedule in the future.
Stefano Domenicali wants to increase F1 Grands Prix
Even though F1 has consistently insisted that it does not intend to go beyond the current number of races in a year, Domenicali believes there is demand for an increased amount of races among fans.
“We want to keep it at 24 Grand Prix. But it would be wrong to say that 24 is too many,” Domenicali said.
“Too many of what? When the sport is as good as it is at the moment, with many possible winners, the fans are counting down the days until the next race. I mean, we have a field that is closer together than ever before. Today we are talking about gaps of 0.078 or 0.093 seconds. That is less than a tenth on a lap of more than four or five kilometres.
“Gaps like we see in a 100-meter race. 24 races is a good number. Each of our events has its own character. The Monaco GP was certainly not the most exciting Grand Prix in history, but we had one of the best TV ratings anywhere in the world. We want to keep a good balance between old and new races. Many more countries want a Grand Prix.
“We are thinking about a rotation system. It is likely that we will start with this in Europe.”
Could F1 see more races on the calendar?
The current cap on the number of races is set at 25 per year, but that could change as F1 attempts to expand its global reach further.
The Concorde Agreement, the legal contract between the FIA, Formula One Management, and all 10 F1 teams, is set for renewal in 2025. The popularity of the championship coupled with the success of the Miami and Las Vegas races could pave the way for more circuits in emerging marketplaces.
F1 also looks to be edging closer to another street race in Thailand, after Domenicali and prime minister Strettha Thavisin met to discuss the potential for a Grand Prix in Ratchadamnoen area of Bangkok.
There are concerns that it could lead to oversaturation, particularly with the increase in the amount of Sprint weekends. This is where the race rotation system proposed by Domenicali could come into play, with rumours of the Belgian and Dutch Grands Prix potentially revolving year-on-year, according to Zandvoort director general Robert van Overdijk in an interview with RacingNews365.
The post ‘We are thinking’: Stefano Domenicali now shares the ‘likely’ change that will impact the Formula 1 calendar appeared first on F1 Oversteer.