F1 Could Stage Grand Prix In Brand-New Country After FIA Visit
Formula 1 could be set to stage a Grand Prix in a brand-new country, it has been claimed.
The proposed 2026 calendar has 24 Grands Prix, with the Spanish capital of Madrid set to host a race for the first time.
And in 2027, the Portimao Circuit in Portugal will return to F1, having last hosted a race back in the 2021 season.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has stated that he does not want the calendar to be longer than 24 races, meaning that tracks have had to drop off the calendar to make way for new ones.
Advert
The Dutch Grand Prix will no longer be hosted from 2027 onwards, with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix dropped from 2026.
With the 2026 calendar locked in and 2027 seemingly unlikely to see any more significant changes, it may not be until 2028 when F1 fans see another brand-new circuit after Madrid.
There have been complaints among fans about the sport racing three times in the United States, while there are four races in the Middle East.
The entire continent of Africa, meanwhile, hasn't had an F1 Grand Prix since South Africa last hosted in 1993, despite calls from Lewis Hamilton for more representation.
South America, meanwhile, is currently limited to the Brazilian Grand Prix, hosted by Sao Paulo.
But plans are underway to change that, with the Colombian city of Barranquilla recently hosting F1 delegates to the site of one of its race circuits.
As per national outlet ColombiaOne, Barranquilla mayor Alejandro Char is leading plans to host F1, with state approval previously required to make key decisions on the project no longer necessary.
It is reported that the city is 'seeking to establish itself as a hub for global events in the Caribbean region'.
The race would likely be ran on a circuit overlooking the Magdalena River, with 'leaked' proposals from four years ago having focused on a different layout.
It is reported that conversations with F1 representatives had been held at the time over a Caribbean Grand Prix but that 'political and logistical factors' ultimately put paid to hopes of a race being staged.
There have been three Colombian drivers in the history of F1, with Ricardo Londono and Roberto Guerrero entering the sport in the 1980s but never scoring a point between them.
Colombia's entire success in F1 can be attributed to Juan Pablo Montoya, who won seven Grands Prix while racing for Williams and McLaren between 2001 and 2006.
Montoya, now 50, only spent almost five seasons in the sport before leaving McLaren midway through the 2006 season.
Prior to his arrival in F1, the Colombian won the 2000 Indianapolis 500 in what was both his debut and stand-alone IndyCar appearance that year
After a seven-year stint in NASCAR, Montoya returned to IndyCar in 2014 and finished second in the championship standings behind Scott Dixon in 2015, as well as winning the Indy 500 for a second time.
He then reverted to a part-time schedule in 2017, and again in 2021 and 2022, which saw him only compete in the two Indianapolis races.
Ryan Smart