Iconic F1 track in danger of losing its spot as another street circuit enters the fray: Reports

There have been recent reports regarding Osaka attempting to host an F1 race in the future. Since this will essentially be a second spectacle in Japan, there are questions about Suzuka and whether the iconic track will be removed from the calendar after its contract runs out in 2024.

According to formula1-data.com, Osaka's Tourism Bureau has shown interest in hosting a race in the city itself. Osaka's governor, Hirofumi Yoshimura, is also interested in the event. Since the city does not have a dedicated circuit near it, the Tourism Bureau will create a street circuit around the city using public roads.

The Japanese city's Tourism Bureau is also holding an Osaka/Kansai Expo in 2025, which aims to bring sports and tourism together. Hence, they are aiming to hold an F1 race in 2025 to further add to the Expo.

Since the F1 calendar is already jam-packed with loads of races and the Japanese iconic track Suzuka is running out of contract in 2024, there could be a possibility of it being removed from the calendar in favor of the upcoming Osaka street circuit.

Only time will tell whether this change in the Japanese GP will take place or not.

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F1 CEO responds to Max Verstappen's complaints about too many races in a season

A few months ago, Max Verstappen criticized the sport for having too many races in a single season, which can be quite tiring for every team member.

However, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali responded to the reigning world champion's opinion and subtly took a dig at him, saying that the fate of the sport cannot be left in drivers' hands.

“I think it’s good that Max gives his opinion. But we can’t leave the sport in the hands of the drivers. Not because they can’t be trusted, since we listen to them, but because they have to look at the bigger picture – and they don’t always do," he explained.

“Their goal is to go as fast as possible, but we as an organisation are in charge of doing what is best for the sport. And we have done so in recent years, otherwise we would not be in this position," Domenicali added.

The 2024 F1 season will have 24 races in total, including six sprint races.