Breaking: F1 boss seals French GP’s fate for next year

F1 boss Stefano Domenicali has revealed that the French GP will not be a part of the calendar next season. In an interview with L’Equipe, the F1 CEO revealed that the Formula 1 circus will not head to Paul Ricard next season. The race has been a part of the sport since 2018 when it made a return to the calendar.

After initial criticism of the track, the last two Grands Prix have been pretty good, with Max Verstappen beating Lewis Hamilton to win the race last season. This, however, is part of a bigger plan for F1 as it tries to farm what appears to be an increased interest in the sport.

Domenicali revealed in an interview with Motorsport.com that a race sticking around on the calendar next season would depend on finding the 'right mix' of races. He said:

"We really hope to formalize the future very, very soon. In the next two weeks, we will circulate the final version of the 2023 calendar. I want to say that I never said that this weekend will be the last Belgian Grand Prix, but we are talking to many promoters, including those from Spa. The balance will be finding the right mix with a third of the races in Europe, a third in the Middle East, and the remainder in the American area."

He further added:

"The financial contribution of the investments is very important, but we have always said that historical competitions, even if they cannot guarantee the money that other promoters bring, have our full respect."

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24 races are the upper limit for an F1 calendar

Addressing raised concerns over an increase in the number of annual races, Domenicali revealed that a maximum of 24 races per season is the target for now.

"The goal is to have 24 Grands Prix. It could be 23, but that's the order of magnitude. And at the moment, there are no long-term plans to further increase the number of races.”

With the F1 French GP out of the picture, it would be interesting to see what happens to other contentious races like Monaco and Spa next season.