OPINION: F1’s decision to alternate Spa is the perfect compromise

There have been ongoing discussions about F1’s ever-expanding schedule for several years, CEO Stefano Domenicalli said back in 2022 that he considered 24 races to be the maximum achievable in a calendar year, while Liberty Media has said previously that it wanted to push for a 25-race season.

Recent global turbulence has meant that expansion has proven difficult since 2019 and it was only in 2024 that F1 finally completed its planned 24-race schedule, but with the sport enjoying something of a purple patch when it comes to popularity and profitability, there is more interest than ever when it comes to hosting a Grand Prix.

At the beginning of the 21st century, F1 ran a 17-race calendar that featured 11 European venues alongside established Grands Prix in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Japan. The Malaysian Grand Prix had been added to the schedule a year before, and the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis was introduced for the first time in 2000. The calendar had featured minimal change through much of the 1990s and F1’s growth was glacial at best.

Fast forward 20 years and new races are being added virtually year on year, with the Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabian, Qatar, Miami and Las Vegas Grands Prix all being welcomed as long-term fixtures on the F1 calendar. The sport’s growth has gone into overdrive, but we have now hit the crossroads where further expansion is only possible at the expense of established race venues. Domenicalli is right to highlight the strain of an extended F1 season, it’s neither sustainable nor enjoyable for far too many people who earn their living in the paddock.

With that in mind, F1 decision makers have developed a plan for race venues to begin sharing hosting responsibilities, and this week’s announcement, that Spa’s extended contract will feature two years off in 2028 and 2030 are the first evidence that we will start to see a far more fluid F1 calendar.

We’ve had similar arrangements in the past, most recently with the German Grand Prix, where Hockenheim and the Nürburgring shared the race between 2008 and 2014, while the British Grand Prix was also first alternated between Silverstone and Aintree from 1955 to 1962, and then Silverstone and Brands Hatch from 1963 to 1986 before Silverstone became the de facto home of the British round from 1987 onwards.

This new strategy, however, presents organisers with the possibility of greatly increasing the growth potential of F1 with a more flexible calendar. We know already that Rwanda, Thailand, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and India have all voiced an interest in hosting a Grand Prix, and Spa’s new deal opens up two spaces in the calendar for prospective venues to prove their worth to the sport and argue their case for a more permanent deal.

If nothing else, the fact that Spa, one of the sport’s most revered and famous circuits, albeit regularly embroiled in infrastructure disputes and funding challenges, is the first to make way for a potential new venue underlines that absolutely no-one on the current calendar is safe.

The Imola, Mexico, Las Vegas, Azerbaijan, Spain and US Grands Prix all have contracts up for renewal in either 2025 or ’26, while the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort has already confirmed it will not be renewing its current deal after its final race in ’26.

How many of these venues, and others in future, will be asked, and perhaps even keen, to accept a more flexible deal? The cost of hosting a Grand Prix is no secret, so organisers may well see this as an opportunity to control that expense.

But what does this mean for F1 fans? Well, the current 24-race calendar is conducive to burn out and fatigue, and some of that would at least be remedied by a more varied schedule that gives each season an element of fresh interest. There’s a reason the first couple of races each year are the most eagerly anticipated, and why the truncated 2020 season that featured races at Mugello, Portimão, Imola and Istanbul was so intriguing.

When F1 is able to offer something new is so often when it's at its most interesting or entertaining, while any hint of stagnation is all too often a reason for fans to check out.

This initiative to introduce new races and change up the calendar is surely a no brainer, with one very simple condition. The new venues that F1 chooses to explore need to deliver great racing and prioritise the experience of the fans. If those two criteria are met then we’re all for a fresh new approach.

Sure, you can argue that circuits like Spa are sacrosanct, but while the history of F1 should be protected and respected, it’s never felt like a better time to look to the future. The kind of season we’ve enjoyed in 2024 doesn’t rely on the likes of Monaco, Spa and Monza to keep things interesting, and actually, taking a year off from Eau Rouge and Blanchimont will only serve to heighten our anticipation when we return.

It's the ideal solution to a growing problem for F1, the ultimate compromise that respects tradition while also embracing progress, all the while ensuring us fans will continue to be treated to a fresh and exciting show. We’ll be waiting with interest to find out Spa’s replacements in 2028 and 2030.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.