Belgian F1 deal opens door for new races

PARIS: The Belgian Grand Prix has struck a deal to allow it to stay on the Formula 1 calendar for four out of six years from 2026-2031 in a ‘rotational’ deal to accommodate new races.

The new contract means the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which has added two grandstands to increase capacity by 10,000, will host Grands Prix in 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031. In 2028 and 2030 Belgium will be replaced on the calendar by another race, although the details of which venues they will be have not yet been confirmed.

The deal to keep the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on the calendar expires in 2026 although organisers could seek to extend it. Two other historic host countries, France and Germany, will not feature on the 2025 calendar and are seeking to return.

It is also possible that the Turkish Grand Prix, last held in 2021, could return in the slots vacated by the deal for the Belgian Grand Prix. Looking outside Europe, Rwanda is planning a new circuit near the capital Kigali but a F1 race cannot happen there before 2028 at the earliest.