Formula 1: new countries want to join and Belgium will inaugurate the rotation system

The growth of Formula 1 in recent years has driven the interest of several countries and cities in joining the official calendar. Liberty Media, the company that manages the commercial side of the championship, has received multiple proposals, but encountered a regulatory limit: the Concorde Agreement.

The agreement, signed in March and valid until 2030, sets a cap of 25 Grands Prix per season, although in practice the current calendar reaches 24. Although the promoter tried to raise that number to 30 in the renewal of the agreement, the teams' refusal prevented that change.

Given that scenario, an intermediate solution emerged: the rotation of venues. This approach allows long-term contracts to be signed with certain locations, but with alternating participation over the years. The first to apply this formula was the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, which renewed until 2031 and will be part of the calendar in 2026, 2027, 2029, and 2031. The intermediate editions will be covered by other circuits.

Among the countries interested in joining the World Championship are South Korea, Thailand, Rwanda, South Africa, Türkiye, and Argentina. In the already official 2026 calendar, the Madrid GP will replace Emilia-Romagna in Imola, adding a second race in Spain alongside Barcelona. The latter could remain on the agenda if it agrees to join the rotation scheme.

Thailand and South Africa, the most advanced

Two candidates have taken important steps recently. Thailand has shown a firm intention to host a street Grand Prix in Bangkok. After a visit from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, the Council of Ministers approved a budget of 1.2 billion dollars to negotiate a five-year contract with the category starting in 2028. The information was confirmed by Sorawong Thienthong, the country's Minister of Tourism.

Meanwhile, South Africa regained prominence after negotiations with Rwanda stalled due to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which indirectly involves that country. The strongest African alternative is the historic Kyalami circuit, which has already hosted 23 Grands Prix, the last in 1993 with a victory by Alain Prost.

Kyalami, owned by Toby Venter since 2014, has been renovated in recent years and currently holds FIA Grade 2 homologation. The International Automobile Federation has approved plans to upgrade the circuit to Grade 1, the level required to host F1. The works will be carried out by Apex Circuit Design, the same firm behind the Miami layout, and will focus on improving run-off areas, barriers, fences, curbs, and the drainage system. The FIA has granted three years to complete the work, which would enable the return of the South African GP starting in 2028.