While there have been loud claims made by local – and even national – politicians about the return of Portugal and Turkey to the Formula 1 calendar, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has now confirmed interest from those countries – and Germany, in the form of Hockenheim.
Interest in F1 is at an all-time high, largely as a consequence of the so-called ‘Netflix effect’. Next year there will be a new race in Spain, at a yet-to-be-completed facility near Madrid. And, while the Concorde Agreement – the commercial contract which binds the teams, F1 and the FIA – enshrines a maximum number of races beyond the current 24, there is a consensus that this is a natural limit in terms of logistics, budget, and personnel welfare.
Last month the Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, said at a political rally, “We have everything ready to formalise the return of Formula 1 to the Algarve in 2027.”
Such pronouncements are usually best treated with due scepticism, as are the regular claims from Turkey that it is likely to make a comeback. Istanbul and the Autodromo do Algarve near Portimao hosted grands prix in the Covid era, but these were not traditional events laid on and paid for by a promoter – F1 hired the tracks to fulfil its broadcasting contracts and hosted the races behind closed doors or with much-reduced crowds.
