The Formula 1 Calendar ThreadFormula 1

[Jimlaad43]

Monza gets a contract extension to 2031

Formula 1 to race in Monza until 2031

Formula 1 has today announced that the Italian Grand Prix will remain on the calendar until 2031 inclusive as part of a new six-year extension to the existing agreement, which runs through 2025.

www.formula1.com

 

[Veinz]

Monza is just one of those tracks that should always be on the calendar. Can’t say the same about Imola.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Can’t say the same about Imola.

The 2020 season was fantastic because it opened our eyes to some previously ignored or dropped circuits into modern F1. All of the tracks added were absolutely fantastic and managed to answer many "Make your own fantasy ideal F1 calendar questions". Unfortunately for Imola, it was the worst for racing of the bunch and despite it being a fantastic driving circuit with plenty of history, most fans would have liked many of the others to have stayed on the calendar.

If it's worth it to anyone, here's my order for the 2020 additional races in terms of which I'd have liked to stay on the calendar.

Nurburgring
Istanbul Park
Portimao
Mugello
Sakhir Outer
Imola

Plus, add to that, Imola is in a country that has a Grand Prix already. The race was never branded as it's historic San Marino Grand Prix name, but became the poster boy for Formula 1's further distancing itself from National Grand Prix names as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. As of 2024, we have 6 non-National Grands Prix, which is crazy when you compare it to the 1997 season which had three duplicate races which they renamed after San Marino, Luxembourg and Europe.

A final issue with Imola is 1994. As much as the weekend was a disaster and tragedy, a lot of fans in the last few years are turning against the constant Senna tributes. Many circuits this year randomly painted a few kerbs to commemorate him, McLaren ran an awkward yellow and green livery for Monaco and there have been a lot of old car demos. Realistically Imola and Interlagos were the only places this was realistically not just jumping on a bandwagon. The big issue is that new fans joining the sport in from the Netflix generation don't know who Senna is and were probably born many years after his death.
Me, I'm 29 and have been watching F1 since like 2001 and properly following since 2005. I was born the year after Senna died, so the proportion of fans following the sport who saw him race is getting a lot smaller. Honestly, it's nice to see the history of a champion celebrated, because the history of the sport is what makes Formula 1 special, but just focusing on one champion who died in living memory just gatekeeps the serious amounts of other worthy champions and moments in the past, and also other champions who died in similarly tragic accidents. The sport will improve if we can move on and not have "being at Imola" as an excuse to bring it up once again every year.

Sorry I didn't mean to turn this into a Senna legacy rant again, but it just happened.

 

[Har1MAS1415]

Monza is just one of those tracks that should always be on the calendar. Can’t say the same about Imola.

Monza and Monaco.

Bit biased about the latter (there I said it) as I've always loved it regardless.

 

[Liquid]

Istanbul
Portimao

These two definitely should be on the calendar. The other thing that the 2020 season showed is that with all these other tracks suddenly being okay to host a Grand Prix, out of desperation, sure, it just really highlighted the amount of gatekeeping Liberty Media does with regards to the calendar and what their bank balance focus is with new races, no matter what spin they might tell us.

Sakhir Outer

Would be excellent for sprint races. I hate sprint races but if you're going to have them, have them on tracks that have different configurations. That would at least spice it up positively in terms of a racing spectacle.

 

[Har1MAS1415]

The 2020 season was fantastic because it opened our eyes to some previously ignored or dropped circuits into modern F1. All of the tracks added were absolutely fantastic and managed to answer many "Make your own fantasy ideal F1 calendar questions". Unfortunately for Imola, it was the worst for racing of the bunch and despite it being a fantastic driving circuit with plenty of history, most fans would have liked many of the others to have stayed on the calendar.

If it's worth it to anyone, here's my order for the 2020 additional races in terms of which I'd have liked to stay on the calendar.

Nurburgring
Istanbul Park
Portimao
Mugello
Sakhir Outer
Imola

Plus, add to that, Imola is in a country that has a Grand Prix already. The race was never branded as it's historic San Marino Grand Prix name, but became the poster boy for Formula 1's further distancing itself from National Grand Prix names as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. As of 2024, we have 6 non-National Grands Prix, which is crazy when you compare it to the 1997 season which had three duplicate races which they renamed after San Marino, Luxembourg and Europe.

A final issue with Imola is 1994. As much as the weekend was a disaster and tragedy, a lot of fans in the last few years are turning against the constant Senna tributes. Many circuits this year randomly painted a few kerbs to commemorate him, McLaren ran an awkward yellow and green livery for Monaco and there have been a lot of old car demos. Realistically Imola and Interlagos were the only places this was realistically not just jumping on a bandwagon. The big issue is that new fans joining the sport in from the Netflix generation don't know who Senna is and were probably born many years after his death.
Me, I'm 29 and have been watching F1 since like 2001 and properly following since 2005. I was born the year after Senna died, so the proportion of fans following the sport who saw him race is getting a lot smaller. Honestly, it's nice to see the history of a champion celebrated, because the history of the sport is what makes Formula 1 special, but just focusing on one champion who died in living memory just gatekeeps the serious amounts of other worthy champions and moments in the past, and also other champions who died in similarly tragic accidents. The sport will improve if we can move on and not have "being at Imola" as an excuse to bring it up once again every year.

Sorry I didn't mean to turn this into a Senna legacy rant again, but it just happened.

These two definitely should be on the calendar. The other thing that the 2020 season showed is that with all these other tracks suddenly being okay to host a Grand Prix, out of desperation, sure, it just really highlighted the amount of gatekeeping Liberty Media does with regards to the calendar and what their bank balance focus is with new races, no matter what spin they might tell us.


Would be excellent for sprint races. I hate sprint races but if you're going to have them, have them on tracks that have different configurations. That would at least spice it up positively in terms of a racing spectacle.

I agree on all those accounts.

 

[toastet]

Not sure about Portimao, both races were more on the boring side with the the exception that 2020 had light rain at the start for some laps but after that was over and the field was sorted out mostly it was as boring as the other one in 2021. Portimao is in that category with Imola and Mugello for amazing tracks but bad for racing in F1.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Not sure about Portimao, both races were more on the boring side with the the exception that 2020 had light rain at the start for some laps but after that was over and the field was sorted out mostly it was as boring as the other one in 2021. Portimao is in that category with Imola and Mugello for amazing tracks but bad for racing in F1.

Agreed with Mugello, was dramatic but only because of crashes. But I'd take Portimao over Catalunya any day.