Formula 1 May Shift Gears, Leave Two Races in Rearview

Formula 1 contracts for the Belgian and French Grands Prix end this year — and it doesn’t look like the sport will return anytime soon.

The Belgian GP is not on the provisional 2023 calendar, and with multiple revived races in other countries, there may not be a slot for the French GP in the 24-race calendar. The 2022 season ran 22 races.

Formula 1’s 2023 calendar will likely feature the return of the South African GP at Kyalami, plus races in Shanghai, Las Vegas, and Qatar.

• The Kyalami deal is reportedly not finalized yet.
• China’s 2022 race is also up in the air due to pandemic-related concerns. The reported plan is to move the race toward the end of the year.

Monaco will have to be finalized, too. F1 reportedly wants to raise its commercial fee above its current $15 million — one of its smallest hosting fees — to match the level of other events. Qatar reportedly pays F1 $55 million for its contract, while China pays $50 million. France’s current deal is for $22 million.

Driver Dilemma

“I think we all love going to France, to Spa, but at the same time the sport is growing so much that I guess there’s a lot of new places that are, I guess, paying quite a lot of money to be part of Formula 1,” Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz said. 

Sainz added that the calendar needs to stay under 25 races.