F1 | Trouble for Imola: Mexican GP renewal threatens Italy’s double race presence. Imola's future in F1 is at risk as the Mexican GP secures a renewal.

The permanence of the Imola Grand Prix on the F1 calendar is becoming increasingly difficult: soon the renewal of a “rival” race in the championship

The 2026 F1 calendar is starting to take shape: a “rival” circuit is close to renewal, and Imola’s future is hanging by a thread. The presence of two races in Italy seems less and less likely. Stefano Domenicali, a few days ago, spoke of “difficult decisions” that will have to be made in the coming months. Despite the great efforts of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Emilia-Romagna could leave the Circus.

It was 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, when the Imola circuit made its return to the calendar. A race dominated by Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes, in the year of his seventh and – to date – last world drivers’ title. From the following year, the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari became a Red Bull stronghold: three victories in as many editions for Max Verstappen, and only one podium for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc, in 2024.

A track as spectacular as it is critical for modern Formula 1. Its layout certainly puts drivers to the test, offering exciting qualifying sessions and laps on the edge of error. In the race, however, it suffers due to the size and weight of the current cars: overtaking is difficult, and tire degradation is sometimes too low to allow for a wide range of strategies.

F1 calendar: Mexican GP renewal ready
A few days ago, Stefano Domenicali spoke about the future of the double Italian round: “In the future, having two Grands Prix in the same country will be increasingly difficult since the interest in our sport is growing a lot. It is something we will discuss in the coming months, although today it seems very difficult to sustain such a situation for much longer.”

Very recently, however, news came of the upcoming renewal of the Mexican Grand Prix. According to RacingNews365, the mayor of Mexico City, Clara Brugada, announced the agreement with Formula 1, which will be signed on April 30. It is not clear when it will be officially announced, but it could have repercussions on the future of the Imola track.

The two circuits whose contracts expire in 2025, in the current Circus calendar, are precisely the Autodromo di Imola and the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The future of Mexico in Formula 1 was said to be hanging by a thread, given Sergio Perez’s departure from Red Bull. The imminent signing of the new agreement with the top series could also mean a realignment of the Mexican driver with the grid.