What’s behind F1’s long-term push to fill its 24-race calendar

With the Formula 1 calendar locked at 24 races and the series continuing to grow its metrics, securing a spot on the schedule appears harder than ever.

F1’s popularity has led to a surge of interest from prospective host cities, countries and governments, with some more credible than others.

However, politicians prematurely declaring a grand prix being a done deal are unlikely to impress the series. If anything, it suggests doing a deal might not be such a good idea if the prospective host either underestimates the scope and long-term sustainability of organising a Liberty Media-era event, or if F1 is merely being used as a tool to chase political clout domestically.

Indian officials’ comments that F1 would return in 2027 were news to F1 management and swiftly dismissed, and similarly fanciful claims are regularly emanating from South Africa.

An F1 return to Argentina also doesn’t look on the cards any time soon, with Buenos Aires first trying its hand at successfully hosting MotoGP at a renovated Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez. There is a new wave of F1 interest in the debt-ridden country thanks to the arrival of home hero Franco Colapinto, but with no guarantees the 2026 Alpine driver will even be on the grid by the time Argentina is ready to host a race, the presence of a local driver alone cannot be a solid foundation for a grand prix.

What F1 management really wants to see from a new market is a financially sustainable plan that gives it confidence to conclude a long-term deal. It is no coincidence that F1 has been moving towards extremely long-term deals in key markets in recent years, with the majority of the calendar secured until at least 2032. Austria’s popular Red Bull Ring event has even been renewed until 2041, with Melbourne, Madrid, Bahrain and Montreal all remaining on the calendar for at least another decade.

It’s a win-win situation that gives a listed company like Liberty Media more stability and guaranteed revenue, but it also helps local promoters and governments write off significant investments in infrastructure over a longer period. It’s a tough ask for an organiser to agree to building a brand-new paddock complex without guarantees it will be used more than a handful of times.

“One of the points that is relevant is not a peak of one year,” F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali said when asked by Autosport about going to new markets. “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.

“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.”

Investment in improvements requires commitment from F1 

F1’s commercial rightsholder says it continues to enjoy significant interest worldwide from prospective promoters, and with a hard limit of 24 races it remains a seller’s market. That means F1 can not only demand a high sanctioning fee, but also hit its other targets regarding mobility, hospitality, entertainment and sustainability.

“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 added.

“Something that I always said on investor calls when they asked me why you did such long-term deals – 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? For example, you will see Miami in the next couple of years is going to build a new area of hospitality. We push Australia, you will see next year, to build a new paddock, new facilities, because we are extending it in the long term. Hungary and Austin are the same.”

Watch: Autosport’s Exclusive Interview with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali

The Budapest example is relevant because it has naturally been harder to secure these long-term investments in Europe than it is in petro-states or other emerging markets. The number of races on F1’s old continent has been put under pressure, with Barcelona and Belgium alternating, and Dutch Grand Prix organisers recognising a contract extension beyond 2026 was too great a financial risk.

F1 has been able to extend some of its European tent poles at Silverstone, Monza and Monaco, however, and the addition or shorter-term deals like Portugal, which has signed for 2027 and 2028 to take over Zandvoort’s slot, gives it some flexibility to further fill the 24-race calendar until some of these longer-term events materialise.

Prospective promoters that appear to have gone about it the right way, so far, are Thailand and South Korea, which have hatched plans for street races in Bangkok and Incheon respectively. While neither country appears particularly close, with Thailand’s recent political upheaval delaying matters, they have both presented solid-looking plans including significant investment, whether public or private. Incheon’s plans are also dependant on the outcome of upcoming mayoral elections, which further highlights how tricky it can be for F1 to find the right window to get a deal over the line.

F1 reaches a sweet spot in North America 

But while growing in the US remains a key target for F1, with a lot riding on its new broadcast deal with Apple, Domenicali has poured cold water over ideas to add even more races in the country amid interest from the likes of New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

While F1 would be keen to expand its footprint in the Far East if the opportunity is right, it already hosts five races in North America with Miami, Montreal, Austin, Mexico and Las Vegas.

“I think there is a lot of interest in the US from other places, that is growing,” Domenicali said, noting that any addition would realistically only be possible if one of the existing races were to drop out. From the North American tranche of races, Mexico’s recently renewed deal runs out first – in 2028 – although the local authorities are keen to work on another extension.

“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.”

F1 would need to lose a race in North America before others are considered

Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Building a long-term relationship also gives F1 more leverage to further optimise the calendar geographically as it aims to make inroads on its ambitious CO2 targets. A long-time wish it has now achieved is to swap Canada and Monaco so the former could be paired with Miami, avoiding additional freight trips across the Atlantic. The two-week gap between the two races still means staff do have to make that extra trip, so talk of making travel more sustainable feels more aimed at logistical rather than human resources.

Add in factors like the local climate, public and religious holidays and the need for a winter and summer break, and it is clear why putting together a 24-race calendar is such a complex jigsaw puzzle. Geographical neighbours are also keen to space out their races to avoid direct competition over each other’s customer base.

Domenicali felt that F1’s current calendar now has the right balance between commercial and logistical demands, which are often pulling in different directions.

“I think that we have already made a big step in terms of optimising the calendar, even if we need to remember that there is not only the logistic flow to be respected but also the commercial side of each event,” he said.

“You can say, logistically, you can have the four races in the Middle East, one behind the other, and the American [races as well], but commercially that will not fit. Therefore, I think that in terms of balance, we have already done a big step forward this year with Canada being after the US.

“And therefore, I think that logistically, the calendar is well set, considering the constraints on the commercial side.”

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– The Autosport.com Team