How the door remains open for iconic track to make F1 return

The door for a return to the Formula 1 calendar remains open for Imola, even if an immediate reprise is unlikely.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix hosted its last event this year with no contract in place for another. However, PlanetF1.com understands discussions remain ongoing to retain the popular Italian venue in some shape or form.

Imola offers F1 calendar safety net

Announced in June, the F1 2026 calendar features a capacity 24 events, with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix making way for the all-new Madrid event.

The Madring, as the venue has been named, is currently under construction ahead of F1’s first visit next September.

It has faced some opposition from the locals, who’ve raised a myriad of concerns, such as the way necessary permits were issued to the removal of trees and noise complaints.

It is fully expected that the race will go ahead as scheduled, though Imola is understood to be the listed reserve event, should it be required.

It’s understood discussions between officials in Italy and Formula One Management are ongoing with a view to the venue becoming a rotating event.

That could see it linked with the Belgian Grand Prix, which is set to alternate on-and-off the calendar from 2027.

Should that be the case, F1 could race in Imola in 2028, and again in 2030.

However, it is far from a done deal and there is strong competition for a slot on the grid, including from within Europe.

F1’s commercial boss, Stefano Domenicali, recently suggested that there is strong interest from continental promoters.

“There is a lot of interest,” the Italian, who was born in the town of Imola, said. “Barcelona would like to stay on the calendar after next year in a rotating role. Turkey and Portugal are also interested, plus Rwanda in Africa, among others.

“But it will not have escaped anyone’s notice that we have also concluded many long-term contracts recently. This gives organisations the opportunity to recoup their investment and create a stable event.

“It is also sometimes said that we have finished racing in Europe. That’s nonsense, just look at what’s happening in Hungary and how they recently renovated the circuit there.”

There remains solid European representation on the calendar, even if proportionally reduced on the expanded modern schedule.

Monaco (2031), Italy (2031), Hungary (2032), Britain (2034), Madrid (2035), and Austria (2041) have all inked contracts that will see them remain on the calendar for the medium term, while Belgium has a deal through until 2031, though will cycle off as part of its rotation in 2028 and 2030.

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There are a host of projects attempting to lure F1 to their shores, with Thailand the most likely to succeed.

However, a race around the streets of Bangkok is not expected in the short term, with 2028 targeted for its debut.

While the arrival of Thailand would fill the hole left by the Dutch GP, which is out of contract after next year’s race, a solution is needed for F1 2027.

That could also open the door for Imola to make a return as a stop-gap should other projects in Portugal or one of the myriad of options out of Africa – though PlanetF1.com understands none of those are considered realistic – failed to come to fruition. Argentina has also been linked with a bid following confirmation of the redevelopment of the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez in Buenos Aries.

Key for any new project is government involvement, a critical element missing from the projects out of South Africa. It was also cited as a contributor to the fate of the Dutch GP.

“If you look at the bigger picture, they have no financial support from the government,” Domenicali said in reference to the demise of Zandvoort. “For a promoter with purely private parties, it is impossible at this time to invest fully in the future and say: we will certainly do this for another five years.”

According to officials in Malaysia, which recently played down the prospects of an F1 return for the foreseeable future, an event comes with an annual price tag of over £50million ($67m).

It is that cost which ultimately made the Emilia Romagna unviable.

Estimated to have contributed just $21million annually, it couldn’t financially compete with newer events like that in Madrid, which is thought to be worth in excess of $50million. The Thai government has approved more than $1billion towards the project, and still has no guarantee that it will ever appear on the calendar.

However, F1 may be open to reduced fees to maintain a presence in key markets and at iconic venues.

Italy and Imola tick both of those boxes, facts which could help it elbow its way back onto the calendar – albeit in a somewhat different manner to that we’ve grown accustomed to in recent years. But the same could also be said for Portugal, Germany, or Spain.

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