From calendar stalwarts with uncertain futures to venues under pressure from other competition, here are six Formula 1 races which you should attend before it’s too late!
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Major changes could be coming to the Formula 1 calendar over the next few years. Six venues have contracts which expire before the end of 2026, interest from new markets in joining the calendar is putting older venues under increased pressure to improve their facilities, and plans for select European rounds to appear on a rotational basis could come to fruition in the near future.
Below, we’ve listed the six Formula 1 events which are most likely to be affected by imminent shake-ups to the F1 calendar. The list includes races whose longer-term futures are not secure or which could come under threat. These are the races that you should attend while you still have the chance!
Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort
In December 2024, Dutch Grand Prix organisers announced that their event will be departing the Formula 1 calendar after 2026. In 2021, Zandvoort re-joined the calendar after a long break.
The event’s return coincided with the peak of Verstappen mania, amid the Dutchman’s first title-winning season. The Red Bull driver remains the driving factor behind the event, with the majority of fans dressed in either bright orange, or Red Bull merchandise (or both!).
If you’re looking for a quiet weekend, this is probably not the event for you! There’s always a party atmosphere at the Dutch Grand Prix, with house music blaring into the grandstands throughout the three days of the race weekend.
Tickets are still available for the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix and there’s even more reason to attend for the event’s farewell in 2026. Race organisers have already confirmed that the final Dutch Grand Prix weekend will use F1’s Sprint format, meaning there’ll be an additional, shorter Saturday race.
Sign up to our mailing list (and check the box for the Netherlands) for updates on tickets sales for the final Dutch Grand Prix in 2026.
Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Another circuit which looks set to soon lose its position on the Formula 1 calendar is Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. A mainstay since first hosting the Spanish Grand Prix in 1991, Catalunya hosts the event for the final time in 2025 before it moves to a new circuit in Madrid.
Despite the move, the Catalunya track – located near Barcelona – does have a contract to remain on the calendar in 2026, most likely as host of a newly-titled Catalan Grand Prix. The track’s future beyond that is unknown but with F1 keen to break into new markets, it seems unlikely that two Spanish rounds will remain on the calendar beyond 2026.
The Spanish Grand Prix at Catalunya is a highly popular destination for European tourists. There are great views on offer from many of the grandstands around the circuit, which are available at a competitive price when compared to similar grandstands at other European venues. Tickets for the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix are now on sale.
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Imola
Could Imola soon lose its position on the F1 calendar? The track re-joined the calendar amid the coronavrius pandemic as host of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2020 and such was its popularity, it has remained on the schedule.
2025 is the final year of Imola’s existing contract. While the other Italian race – the Italian Grand Prix at Monza – recently signed a lengthy contract extension, news of Imola’s future is yet to be confirmed. Of those without a contract for 2026, it makes the most sense for Imola to be the track which does not make the cut.
Imola has plenty of affordable grandstands around the circuit and there’ll be a special atmosphere at the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton makes his first appearance in Italy as a Ferrari driver. Learn more about purchasing tickets in our guide to the circuit’s best vantage points.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku City Circuit
Since joining the calendar in 2016, Baku City Circuit soon gained a reputation for delivering exciting and unpredictable races, securing the race’s position as a firm fan-favourite.
The problem that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix faces is that it has the lowest attendance figure on the calendar, with weekend (3-day) attendance reportedly standing at just 76,000 in 2024. Conversely, this is a major draw of the event for fans trackside. Fewer people in attendance means a more relaxed atmosphere, fewer queues and an increased likelihood of getting up close to the cars and maybe even spotting a driver or two around the city!
F1’s interest in other markets could see it move away from races which do not attract larger attendances. If that is the case, the Baku race would surely be under serious threat. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix’s current contract expires after the 2026 race.
Tickets are not yet on sale for the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – though ticket packages are already available via F1 Experiences. If you have the budget, Baku – with its relaxed atmosphere and relatively low prices – is one of the best races to experience a premium ticket package.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jeddah Corniche Circuit
The future of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is secure into the 2030s but we’ve added the event to this list as there’s no guarantee that it will remain at its current home. Jeddah Corniche Circuit was always supposed to be a temporary solution for Saudi Arabia’s want for a Grand Prix.
Close to Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh, a new ambitious facility is under construction in Qiddiya, which is expected to become host of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at some point in the late 2020s. Currently, it is expected that the track will be completed in 2028, with Grand Prix organisers confirming that the race will remain at its current home in Jeddah until at least 2027.
Jeddah Corniche Circuit is the fastest street circuit at which Formula 1 has ever raced. It is the second-longest current venue (behind Spa) and the second-fastest track (behind Monza). If you want to see F1 cars pushed to their limits as drivers navigate a fast, tight and twisting 27-turn track, you need to head to Jeddah while there’s still the opportunity to do so. Tickets are already on sale for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which is set to take place in mid-April.
Mexico City Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Finally, the popular Mexican Grand Prix has a current contract until 2025. Last year, event organisers said they were confident that their event would be safe regardless of home driver Sergio Perez’s future. Nevertheless, the Mexican’s dismissal from Red Bull will have come as a blow to circuit bosses, who in 2025 will have a Mexican Grand Prix without a Mexican driver on the grid for the first time in the event’s decade-long return stint.
The event has brought in big crowds of over 400,000 per weekend in recent seasons. Whether that will continue post-Perez remains to be seen, though it is worth noting that most tickets for the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix were already sold before it was announced thatSergio Perez had lost his drive with Red Bull for next year. A decline in popularity could see the Mexico City Grand Prix’s future at risk, so if you want to attend the famous race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, we’d recommend doing so sooner rather than later.
A limited number of tickets for the 2025 race are available in our ticket shop, including in the famous Estadio (Foro Sol) section of the track – perhaps one of the most atmospheric places to see F1 cars race at any circuit on the calendar!
