18 hours ago
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The Belgian Grand Prix has secured a caller declaration that volition support it connected the Formula 1 calendar for 4 retired of six years from 2026-2031.
It is the archetypal woody of this benignant signed by F1, which is seeking to find ways of accommodating caller events successful an already crowded calendar.
The declaration dictates that the historical Spa-Francorchamps circuit volition big races successful 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031.
However, successful 2028 and 2030 Belgium volition beryllium replaced by different race.
The details of which different venues volition rotate with Spa are yet to beryllium confirmed.
Barcelona, successful Spain, and Imola, successful Italy, some privation to support their races, adjacent though they are retired of declaration aft this year.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is being replaced arsenic the venue of the Spanish Grand Prix by a caller circuit successful Madrid from adjacent season.
The Dutch Grand Prix's woody ends aft 2026 but organisers successful the Netherlands whitethorn privation to revive it astatine immoderate point, and F1 is besides exploring ways of returning the French and German races to the calendar.
France is the birthplace of motorsport, portion Germany is besides 1 of the oldest venues, but some person go unviable successful caller seasons.
France returned to the docket successful 2018 but fell disconnected the calendar again aft 2022, portion Germany has not hosted a contention since 2019.
A instrumentality of the Turkish Grand Prix, past held successful 2021 aft returning to the calendar successful 2020 arsenic a effect of the pandemic, is besides an option.
Rotation of European races besides gives F1 an enactment to adhd caller races extracurricular the sport's European heartland, which presently accounts for astir 1 3rd of the calendar.
F1 is moving connected a contention successful Rwanda, successful cardinal Africa, connected a caller circuit being built extracurricular the superior Kigali, which volition not hap earlier 2028 astatine the earliest.
Thailand is besides funny successful a race, but that would apt not beryllium earlier 2030. The prospects of a instrumentality of South Korea to the calendar, which had been explored successful some Seoul and Busan, are diminishing.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali said: "The Belgian Grand Prix was 1 of the races that made up our maiden title successful 1950, truthful arsenic we footwear disconnected our 75th day twelvemonth it is fitting that we tin stock the quality of this important extension.
"Spa-Francorchamps is rightly lauded by drivers and fans alike arsenic 1 of the finest contention tracks successful the satellite and it has played big to immoderate unthinkable moments implicit its galore seasons successful Formula 1.
"In caller years it has undergone important enactment to amended the installation and wide instrumentality experience, and I would similar to wage tribute to the promoter and the Government of Wallonia for their dedication and passionate enactment for F1 successful Belgium."
Last twelvemonth brought F1's longest ever season, astatine 24 races, a docket that continues this year, which starts successful Australia connected 14-16 March.
The team's contracts with F1 dictate a maximum of 25 races a year.
Those deals person to beryllium renegotiated for the play starting successful 2026, F1's adjacent regulatory period, but determination is wide statement that the athletics is already astatine the precocious bounds of what is imaginable successful presumption of the calendar, and the maximum fig of races is not expected to alteration successful the caller contracts.
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