Imola unlikely to rejoin F1 after 2026 exclusion: Liberty Media demands €60m. Imola’s hopes of returning to Formula 1 are fading, as Liberty Media demands €60m to host a race.

In recent days at Monza, alongside the Formula 1 Grand Prix, several meetings have also taken place between Liberty Media and the promoters of all the races on the calendar. The discussions this morning opened with the organizers of the Imola event who, despite being excluded from the 2026 season, would like to soon host Formula 1 again at the historic circuit in Emilia-Romagna. However, what left everyone stunned, as also reported by motorsport.com, was the amount of money Liberty Media requested, a staggering 60 million euros.

The organizers of the Italian Grand Prix at Imola were shocked, as they had hoped for a slightly lower figure given that their aim was to return to the calendar not as a permanent fixture but as part of a rotation. Formula 1, however, was not open to this arrangement, and the fee demanded was the same as that paid by promoters who host the 20 fastest cars in the world every year.

The impression is that the bar has been set at such a high level that the delegation from Italy’s second race may be forced to give up, leaving room instead for circuits such as Hockenheim, Portimao, and Istanbul, which appear to have secured the necessary funds with support from their governments.

It now seems almost certain that the much-discussed 2023 Grand Prix, canceled due to the devastating flood that struck Emilia-Romagna and initially expected to be rescheduled for next year, will never take place. The mayor, Marco Panieri, has not given up, but on the other hand, ACI Italia seems to be progressively distancing itself from the project. At this point, all that remains is to wait just over a month for the new president, Geronimo La Russa, to take office. Only then will it become clear whether there is a concrete strategy to bring Imola back to the Formula 1 calendar or if we must bid farewell forever to the historic circuit.