What Spa’s new deal tells us about F1’s calendar plans

With the confirmation of the Belgian Grand Prix organising four races over six years, the Spa-Francorchamps event is the first race confirmed to enter F1’s planned rotation system for some of its European rounds.

The race had long been under consideration to host races in alternating years, but Wednesday morning’s announcement has billed it as a more generous arrangement of four races in six years.

There has been some reprieve for Spa after Zandvoort announced its new one-year deal for 2026 would also be its last, removing a competitor for one of those European slots. But with Spa still holding out for a permanent deal, the talks were particularly tough as the enormous competition for spots on the calendar means F1 was ultimately in a much stronger negotiating position.

Spa’s prospects were boosted by an increased commitment from the Wallonian government to obtain long-term security, even if it loses its annual status. Over €80million has already been invested in Spa as part of a phased overhaul of the aging facility, including the construction of brand-new grandstands and improved fan facilities. Further investments to bring the race weekend itself in line with F1’s vision of a grand prix as a compelling entertainment package have also impressed F1 chiefs.

But while the outcome of the negotiations could have been a lot worse for Spa, losing its status as a yearly round while Saudi Arabia might receive a second grand prix in the future will sting for motor racing fans.

Is the finish line in sight for Imola?

Spa’s renewal also confirms that other European races will inevitably join suit and enter the rotation system. With Spa, Zandvoort and Barcelona all on the calendar for 2026, that leaves Imola out in the cold that year, unless Mexico doesn’t renew its expiring deal in the wake of Sergio Perez’ F1 exit. But Mexican promoter CIE has always been adamant its event has a strong future even without its home hero, and Autosport understands a new deal for Mexico City is much more likely than not.

F1 chief Stefano Domenicali has long maintained it would be tough for Italy to hang on to both its F1 races, and when Monza secured a six-year extension until 2031 in November, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Imola. The Emilia-Romagna venue helped F1 out by hosting a round during the pandemic-derailed 2020 and 2021 seasons and was rewarded with a long-term contract extension after it secured the necessary funding to continue.

But Imola was one of several European F1 races to lag behind in terms of infrastructure and fan experience, and while places like Spa and Barcelona have both stepped up, the former San Marino Grand Prix venue was still seen as a weaker link. It could yet join the rotation system too, but Barcelona appears to be in a stronger position to do so.

Will Spa be stuck rotating bi-annually after all, and what happens in 2028?

While this four-in-six deal has been publicly presented as better news for Spa than anticipated, Belgium effectively gets a two-year reprieve before alternating bi-annually as originally planned by F1. One way you could read this is that none of F1’s many candidates to join the circus – including a second Saudi round at Qiddiya but also Thailand, South Korea, Rwanda – will be ready before 2027 at the earliest.

It is premature to speculate on which of the above rounds will materialise in time, as – other than the ambitious Qiddiya megaproject – the venues in question have yet to break ground. Other countries who have been very vocal about their F1 ambitions include Argentina and South Africa, but it would be prudent to treat any political manoeuvring with a pinch of salt. Regardless of which venues end up getting their act together, what the alternation of Spa with another European round does give F1 is the flexibility that when there is an opportunity to service a new market, it will have room on the calendar to do so.

Lance Stroll, Racing Point RP20, Sergio Perez, Racing Point RP20, Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 Team R.S.20, Esteban Ocon, Renault F1 Team R.S.20, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W11, and the rest of the field at the start

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

And just like Spa’s future was saved in 2023 when a return to South Africa did not materialise, there might yet be a way for the likes of Imola to plug gaps in the future. But a stronger plug-and-play contender appears to be Turkey, which showed in 2021 it is also ready to host a race at short notice. Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is known to be very keen for F1 to return to Istanbul Park permanently, having discussed the prospect with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem last year. The organisation Can Bilim Egitim Kurumlari A.S won the tender to take over the operation of the circuit in April last year, with the specific promise to bring F1 racing back to the outskirts of the ancient metropole. It is worth pointing out that the deal of neighbouring Azerbaijan runs out in 2026, but Baku is determined to extend that stay.

Regardless of which race joins Spa on the rotation, Wednesday’s announcement is the first step of F1 trying to reach more global markets without exceeding its limit of 24 grands prix. And with global demand for an F1 race at an all-time high, it won’t be the last.