Imola Could Exit the F1 Calendar, According to Domenicali
Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has hinted that the Imola race, his hometown, could disappear from the calendar. This is because Italy might not retain two grand prix in a 24-race program with many candidates.
“Italy has always been and will be an important part of Formula 1,” Domenicali stated to RAI radio. “It will be increasingly difficult to have two races in the same country because interest in F1 is growing and it is a situation we will have to deal with in the coming months.”
Stefano Domenicali
Domenicali, a native of Imola and former Ferrari boss, added that it would not be an easy decision from a personal point of view, but that he had to take a global approach.
Imola returned to the F1 calendar during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has maintained its place, although the 2023 race was canceled due to the floods that devastated the region.
Monza, home of the Italian Grand Prix, has been on the calendar every year since the first championship in 1950, with the sole exception of 1980, and is the spiritual home of Ferrari. It has a contract until 2031.
No other country in Europe has two races, although Spain will have an overlap next season with the arrival of Madrid as the new venue for the Spanish Grand Prix, while Barcelona will be in the final year of its contract.
The Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort has already announced that it will not continue after 2026.
The United States has three races, and there has been talk of China having a second. Thailand is also in talks for a round starting in 2028, and the sport wants to return to Africa.
