F1 News: Insider Reveals European Grands Prix Face Threat Of Losing Spot On Calendar

Saajan Jogia | 2 Hours Ago

Fernando Alonso of Spain driving the (14) Aston Martin AMR23 Mercedes leads Daniel Ricciardo of Australia driving the (3) Scuderia AlphaTauri AT04 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 30, 2023 in Spa, Belgium. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images) / Red Bull Content Pool

According to the president of the Automobile Club de Monaco, Michel Boeri, Formula 1 will be left with just two or three Grands Prix from Europe as the sport witnesses a global surge in demand. European race locations have constituted a good part of the sport's calendar for several years, but that is set to change in the foreseeable future.

Boeri played a crucial role in extending Monaco's Formula 1 Grand Prix contract until 2031. However, his discussions with Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali have led him to gain an insight into the sport's future in Europe, with the number of races set to reduce hugely. Currently, ten races take place in Europe, including the Azerbaijan GP from Baku.

Domenicali recently revealed plans to have a rotating European calendar, where race venues will feature on alternate years to accommodate all locations in a tight 24-race calendar. But according to Boeri, the number will drop drastically as additional venues from the African and Asian subcontinents are added to the sport. Speaking to Monaco Info, he said:

“Compared to the other European Grands Prix, we have a few small advantages, but above all, there is no alternation.

“We’ll be here every year. Not only are many European Grands Prix going to disappear, but those that remain will alternate. I think that with the current demand for F1, there will only be two or three Grands Prix left in Europe, with interest shifting to China and other continents.”

Speaking about the challenges in signing the contract extension for the Monaco GP, Boeri added:

“The negotiations lasted at least six months.

“The problem was that as soon as we had a verbal agreement, we had to finalise it with a 60-70 page contract, drawn up by American lawyers, and there wasn’t a fly in the ointment.

“It was a legal battle that went beyond the little run-ins we may have had with Stefano Domenicali, who was defending interests that weren’t mine. Now we have to look to the future, and our successors will have plenty of time to adapt and get up to speed.”

Domenicali recently confirmed plans to have a rotational European calendar, which will soon be announced. He said:

"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."