Rotation of European Grands Prix coming soon, says F1 CEO Domenicali

• Contracts for Spa, Monza, Imola and Zandvoort expire after 2025
• F1 linked with new races in Rwanda, Thailand, and Argentina

Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali has revealed there is imminent news on rotational Grands Prix in Europe from the 2026 season.

Speaking on a recent earnings call for Liberty Media’s third-quarter financial results, the Italian gave the strongest indication yet that the long-rumoured rotational events will be a feature of future calendars.

“In [2026] and further beyond, of course, we have some news to share very, very soon with regard to the possibility in the midterm to have some rotational European Grands Prix and some other new options coming later,” said Domenicali. “And this is something that, of course, we will clarify in the due course.

“It is true that we have a large demand of new possible venues that want to come in, and our choice will be always balanced between the right economical benefits that we can have as a system and also to leverage in the growth of the market that we can see potential will be beneficial for us to grow even further our business.”

With Formula One’s increasing popularity, more and more countries are seeking a way onto the series’ packed schedule.

Following rapid expansion in the US, which saw the addition of races in Miami and Las Vegas, Formula One is now taking a more global approach to any potential events.

In August, Domenicali revealed that Rwanda was serious about hosting a future race, while Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia have all previously been linked with Formula One.

There is also increasing talk of a potential return to Argentina following the rise in popularity of Williams driver Franco Colapinto and Formula One’s partnership with Argentinean IT company Globant.

The European races with contracts ending after 2025 include Spa-Francorchamps, Imola, Zandvoort, Monza and Monaco.

While it is highly unlikely that the historic Monaco Grand Prix would be reduced to a rotational event, the series would open up two spots on the calendar by switching the remaining four to every other year.

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Rotational events always appeared likely once Formula One acknowledged that expanding the calendar beyond 24 races would be too much of a strain on personnel.

With two races in Italy, this appears to be one area where organisers can open up a slot on the schedule, while Spa-Francorchamps has long been linked to any conversation centred on rotational events.

It would be strange to see Zandvoort moved away from the core calendar given the fervent support for Dutch hero Max Verstappen, but money always talks in Formula One.

Races in Africa and Asia would also bring a much more global feel to a Eurocentric schedule and deliver much-needed visibility to those underrepresented continents.

The rumours around Argentina were always likely with Colapinto’s new-found stardom, but financial issues in the country mean this race will be trickier to realise. The young Argentine is also not even guaranteed a Formula One future beyond this season yet.

MotoGP’s attempt to race in Argentina ultimately failed in 2024, so a successful 2025 event will provide a good indication for whether Formula One is pursuing a feasible option.