Belgian Grand Prix gets contract extension but set to be dropped from F1 schedule in 2028 and 2030

Formula 1 has extended its contract with the Belgian Grand Prix, but one of the sport's most established races is set to be dropped from the schedule in 2028 and 2030.

The extension starting from next year includes races only in 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031, F1 said Wednesday. It could start a wider trend of rotating between some European circuits year by year.

F1’s push in recent years to expand the schedule with more races in the United States and Asia has meant more competition for traditional venues in Europe seeking to keep their places on the calendar.

The Spa-Francorchamps circuit, a favorite with many drivers for its flowing high-speed layout through forested hills, was on the F1 schedule for the first championship season in 1950 and has been on the calendar every year since 2007.

“The Belgian Grand Prix was one of the races that made up our maiden Championship in 1950, so as we kick off our 75th anniversary year it is fitting that we can share the news of this important extension," F1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali said in a statement.

"Spa-Francorchamps is rightly lauded by drivers and fans alike as one of the finest racetracks in the world and it has played host to some incredible moments over its many seasons in Formula 1."

Spa-Francorchamps isn't the only historic European circuit which may stop being a yearly destination for F1.

F1 hosts two races a year in Italy at Monza and Imola but the long-term future for Imola is unclear. The deal for Spain's Circuit de Catalunya expires next year, when a new street race arrives in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

F1 hasn't said who might host in the years when Belgium is off the calendar. Rotating between venues could be a way to return to some markets without committing to an annual event.

F1 hasn't raced in Germany since 2020 but has a history of rotating between two circuits there. The last race in Turkey was in 2021 and the most recent French GP was in 2022.

Without a Belgian Grand Prix in 2028, there won't be a home race for F1 champion Max Verstappen, who was born in Belgium but races under the Netherlands flag. The Dutch GP will drop off the F1 schedule after the 2026 race after the promoter decided last month not to continue.

Recent races at Spa-Francorchamps have seen large numbers of Verstappen fans in the stands wearing orange to represent the Netherlands. F1's statement Wednesday highlighted the track's “significant investment” to increase capacity by 10,000 with two new grandstands.

This year's Belgian Grand Prix race weekend is from July 25 through 27, including a sprint race.

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