{"id":98855,"date":"2025-08-28T14:06:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/98855\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T14:06:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:06:22","slug":"f1-must-rotate-classic-european-tracks-for-fans-and-the-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/98855\/","title":{"rendered":"‘F1 must rotate classic European tracks \u2013 for fans and the sport’"},"content":{"rendered":"

This weekend will mark Zandvoort\u2019s<\/a> penultimate appearance on the modern F1<\/a> calendar, as it was announced the circuit\u2019s contract wouldn\u2019t be extended past 2026.<\/p>\n

Although a few people might be glad, with the Dutch venue often generating rather processional racing, it\u2019s still a location with lots of motor sport history, variable weather conditions and offers fans attending a festival-like atmosphere.<\/p>\n

The circuit that puts drivers through a rollercoaster ride, complete with big banking and steep swoops, is often labelled as one of the most fun to experience in a race car but a lack of overtaking opportunities means it isn\u2019t ranked very highly for the actual spectacle.<\/p>\n

\"Max<\/p>\n

Dutch fans won\u2019t get to see their hero Verstappen after 2026<\/p>\n

\n Red Bull\n <\/p>\n

Having attended the Dutch Grand Prix myself in 2023, I have to say it was one of my favourite events I have been to. Fantastic facilities, excitable crowds, and close proximity to public transport, with a direct train to or from Amsterdam in just 25 minutes. Fans also cycled to the event in their thousands, a whole section of the beach was dedicated to parking for two wheels.<\/p>\n

Therefore it feels a shame that somewhere like Zandvoort \u2013 a circuit with so much character, history and not to mention home to a current four-time world champion \u2013 is going to be lost in favour of another race track configured around a city centre car park (Madrid).<\/p>\n

For me, this feels like a perfect opportunity to bring back the European Grand Prix, but with a twist.<\/p>\n

What was the European Grand Prix?<\/p>\n

\"Nelson<\/p>\n

Nelson Piquet, winner of the 1983 European GP, rockets towards Druids at Brands Hatch<\/p>\n

\n Getty Images\n <\/p>\n

Initially used as an honorary title, the first stand-alone world championship European Grand Prix was used in 1983 at Brands Hatch<\/a> after that year\u2019s Swiss Grand Prix was cancelled, Las Vegas had been jettisoned and a mooted New York Grand Prix simply never happened. The World Championship was reduced to 14 events from the proposed 17, and so John Webb of Brands Hatch<\/a> came up with the plan to host a second British race alongside Silverstone and the title of European Grand Prix was used again.<\/p>\n

The following year, N\u00fcrburgring<\/a> took the reins, with a return to Brands in 1985<\/a>. After a hiatus, the event came back with Donington Park in 1993<\/a>, before stints in Jerez<\/a> and a return to the N\u00fcrburgring. In fact, the German circuit hosted the European Grand Prix annually from 1999 until 2007 when it passed the baton to Valencia from 2008 until 2012.<\/p>\n

F1 last hosted a European Grand Prix in 2016, when the Baku City Circuit<\/a> made its debut on the calendar and is now known as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

Same name, new idea<\/p>\n

With so many permanent FIA Grade 1 listed circuits around Europe, we think it\u2019s time both F1 and its governing body use one slot on its ever-growing calendar to give a nod to its past. I\u2019m not talking about building a custom street circuit in the middle of Cologne because it happens to be close to DHL\u2019s headquarters (a title-sponsor of F1), I want to see some of the familiar favourites make a comeback to our calendars.<\/p>\n

Looking at the FIA\u2019s most recent list of Grade 1 listed circuits* \u2013 the certification that allows a venue to host a Formula 1 race \u2013 all the following could theoretically put on a grand prix that aren\u2019t currently on the schedule:<\/p>\n

Circuit
\nCountry
\nGrade 1 Licence expires<\/p>\n

Estoril
\nPortugal
\n31.01.2026<\/p>\n

Hockenheim
\nGermany
\n03.04.2028<\/p>\n

Imola
\nItaly
\n25.03.2027<\/p>\n

Magny-Cours
\nFrance
\n15.05.2028<\/p>\n

Mugello
\nItaly
\n08.05.2028<\/p>\n

N\u00fcrburgring
\nGermany
\n04.07.2028<\/p>\n

Paul Ricard
\nFrance
\n26.07.2027<\/p>\n

Portim\u00e3o
\nPortugal
\n31.01.2026<\/p>\n

*information correct as of July 2025.<\/p>\n

Of course, not all of these circuits produce unmissable action. Some of them hosted races over the pandemic and they\u2019re hardly missed from our television screens \u2013 yes Paul Ricard, I am looking at you. Others haven\u2019t welcomed F1 back in almost three decades, such as Estoril<\/a> which last appeared for the 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This weekend will mark Zandvoort\u2019s penultimate appearance on the modern F1 calendar, as it was announced the circuit\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":98856,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[39529,1687,372,6537,101,56,54,55,41970],"class_list":["post-98855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-f1","tag-dutch-gp","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-zandvoort"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}