F1 News: Insider Makes Bold Suggestion Amid European Calendar Shuffle

Saajan Jogia | 3 Hours Ago

Italian Grand Prix - 2023 Ferrari / Ferrari Press Image

Former Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok has revealed his preference for having a German Grand Prix on the F1 calendar in place of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, popularly known as Imola. Chandhok has cited the large size of the current F1 cars as the primary reason for rejecting Imola.

Chandhok's comments come amid Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali's recent revelation that several European circuits may be included in a rotational calendar, featuring on alternate years. This is being done to accommodate new locations as the premier class of motorsport witnessed a significant surge in demand.

The introduction of the Madrid Grand Prix in 2026, alongside Italy hosting two races at Imola and Monza, enables Formula 1 to preserve its strong European presence while also expanding to new global destinations. Revealing that the rotational calendar will soon be announced, Domenicali stated on a Liberty Media investors call, as reported by Motorsport.com:

"We have some news to share very, very soon with regard to the possibility in the mid-term to have some rotational European Grand Prix and some other new options coming later.

"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 always be balanced between the right economical benefits that we can have as a system and also to leverage the growth on the market that we can see potential that will be beneficial for us to grow even further our business."

When Chandhok was asked which circuit he was willing to sacrifice on the F1 calendar, he suggested Imola due to the increase in the size of modern F1 cars, which makes overtaking a challenge. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, as reported by RacingNews365, he said:

“It's a fantastic venue to go to, it’s obviously historic. In qualifying, it's a very exciting track to watch and for the drivers [to take part in].

“But it's too narrow for the racing nowadays, with the size of the cars we've got, I think F1 has outgrown it. We're not seeing much overtaking there.”

When discussing potential replacements, Chandhok suggested the return of the German Grand Prix, which last featured on the calendar before 2019, especially with Mercedes' growing influence in Formula 1 as a racing team and works outfit. He said:

"I feel like we need a German Grand Prix back on the track.

“It feels really strange to have an F1 calendar without a German Grand Prix and a French Grand Prix.

“There’s obviously Mercedes, and we have such a long lot of German influence in the sport, the time with [Sebastian] Vettel and [Michael] Schumacher and all that sort of stuff.

“It feels a bit odd not to have a German Grand Prix.”