"Wrong for us not to take advantage" - F1 boss on new venues for the sport

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali believes it would be “wrong” for FOM to not take advantage of the renewed interest in the sport and add more races to the calendar.

He says the sport needs to capitalize on its recent surge in popularity, especially in the United States, to grow. Speaking to Motorsport.com following the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Italian said:

“The interest that Formula 1 is receiving today in the USA has never been seen before. It would be wrong for us not to take advantage of this opportunity and we are trying to understand how to deal with this growth.”

In addition to North America, F1 is reportedly gaining more attention elsewhere across the globe, especially in the east. Pointing to a surge in interest from Chinese fans following Zhou Guanyu’s debut for Alfa Romeo this season, Domenicali says it is a prime example a driver’s influence has on demand for races.

Furthermore, the FOM is expecting growth in ticket sales following Ferrari’s spectacular results at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend. Domenicali expects the Scuderia’s competitiveness to drive up demand at venues on the European leg of the calendar. He added, saying:

“In the end, it is the drivers who make the interest in this sport grow in their countries. We have seen it in Brazil, in Spain and there are many other examples. There is also a lot of interest in the Far East. Guanyu Zhou’s arrival in Formula 1 is attracting attention and does not surprise us. From China, we have had new requests to host a grand prix.”

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Old school F1 circuits cannot rest on their ‘pedigree’: Domenicali

F1 reportedly won’t rule out replacing old-school circuits that have been a permanent fixture on the calendar in favor of better venues in the future.

Domenicali feels some of these circuits with expiring deals are at the risk of being dropped, and that they cannot rely on their ‘pedigree’ alone to guarantee a spot on the calendar. Speaking to Autosport, the Italian said:

“There are some promoters who have expiring agreements, and probably some of the current Grands Prix will no longer be part of the calendar. Others will remain but in a different form, such as rotating between different tracks. Soon the choices we are making will be announced, and you can expect some new grands prix. However, it is still not easy to plan everything in advance.”

He then said:

“We know we have to balance the arrival of new races with historic grands prix, and tracks that must continue to be part of our calendar. It’s not enough to have a pedigree any more. You also have to demonstrate that you are keeping up.”

While Domenicali hasn’t specifically named any venues, according to Autosport, current races in France, Belgium, Mexico, and even Monaco are yet to have their deals renewed beyond the current season. Monaco and Belgium have been an integral part of F1 since the sport’s inception and have hosted races nearly every year since 1950.

Some of these circuits, however, have also come under criticism for their lack of modern facilities, especially compared to newer venues such in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Spa-Franchorchamps has witnessed several high-profile accidents leading to fatalities in recent years.

The circuit has previously been criticized for its lack of modern safety standards. In response, the circuit was upgraded at a cost of nearly €80 million, partly funded by the Belgian government.