Formula 1 has more circuits chasing a place than it has room for…
With the calendar capped at 24 races, every arrival needs a departure, and anyone studying the Formula 1 odds for 2027 will notice a schedule that already looks different from this one. Several venues are waiting for the next gap.
The races F1 has lost
Imola held its last Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May 2025 when its contract ran out, making way for Madrid. Zandvoort goes after this season, with the Dutch promoter turning down a rotation offer because it could no longer carry the financial risk.
Barcelona-Catalunya is going part-time. It sits out 2027 and then alternates with Spa-Francorchamps, with Belgium racing in odd years and Barcelona in even ones. Portimão and Istanbul Park have already taken two of the spaces for 2027.
Bangkok
Thailand is the most advanced of the newcomers. Its cabinet approved a $1.2 billion bid for a 5.7km street circuit through the Chatuchak district, and the Sports Authority of Thailand has signed a memorandum of understanding with Formula 1. The 18-corner layout would run between Chatuchak Park and the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. Alex Albon, who races under the Thai flag, has called the project “really promising.” A five-year deal is targeted from 2028, though no race contract had been signed as of July 2026.
South Africa
Formula 1 has not raced in Africa since Kyalami in 1993. The FIA approved upgrades that would make Kyalami eligible again, but the latest plan comes from Blue Mountain Racing, a private consortium proposing a R6.7 billion circuit near Malmesbury, an hour north of Cape Town. The project would be privately financed on a 600-hectare site with room for around 125,000 spectators. It targets a first race in 2031 but has no Formula 1 contract.
Rwanda
Rwanda has moved from bid to contract. A 10-year agreement to host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix was announced on 13 October 2026, with the race scheduled to join the calendar in the early 2030s — marking Formula 1’s return to Africa more than three decades after Kyalami hosted the last race on the continent in 1993. The paperwork is in place. The circuit is not. The race will take place at a purpose-built track in Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of Kigali and near a planned new international airport — which is itself still under development.
The political complication has not gone away. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s objections over Rwanda’s alleged backing of M23 rebels remain on the record. Rwanda, meanwhile, is pressing ahead — President Paul Kagame described the project as intended to create jobs, build skills, attract tourism and support new businesses, rather than simply stage a race weekend. The early 2030s target depends on the circuit and the airport both being ready. Neither exists yet.
Chicago
Chicago is the most persistent rumour. Formula 1 filed trademarks for four versions of a Chicago Grand Prix name in 2024, and NASCAR’s Chicago street race has paused for 2026, with a return planned for 2027. The problem is that Miami, Austin and Las Vegas already give the US three races, and Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1’s chief executive, has called that number “perfect.”
Qiddiya
Saudi Arabia is building its own replacement for Jeddah, which has hosted the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix since 2021. Qiddiya Speed Park near Riyadh, designed by Hermann Tilke and Wurz, has 21 corners, 108 metres of elevation change and a first corner, The Blade, that rises 70 metres. A debut is planned for 2028 but could slip to 2029.
Barranquilla
Colombia’s bid collapsed once when the national government would not back it, and Formula 1 went to Madrid instead, even after Domenicali visited Barranquilla in October 2023. Mayor Alejandro Char is now negotiating directly for a 10-year deal on a semi-street circuit along the Magdalena River. The promoter, Victory Sports, said in September 2026 that talks remain open.
Buenos Aires
Argentina last hosted Formula 1 in 1998, but Franco Colapinto has revived the demand. Around 600,000 people watched his 2026 road show in Buenos Aires. The Óscar y Juan Gálvez circuit is about 60% through a redevelopment expanded with Formula 1 in mind, including an access tunnel and a longer hairpin. President Javier Milei has lobbied for a race and opened the FIA’s American Congress in the city in 2026.
Incheon
South Korea hosted four races at Yeongam between 2010 and 2013. Incheon has submitted a letter of intent for a 4.96km street circuit around Songdo Moonlight Festival Park, and a feasibility study backed the plan. The city expects 300,000 to 400,000 visitors per event. A 2028 debut has been discussed, though there are no concrete negotiations with Formula 1 and local opposition figures have criticised the idea.
