Formula 1 has always been a travelling circus, moving in search of wealthy, dazzling locations and postcard-worthy images. It’s no secret that money has always been the real driving force behind the show, dragging drivers, engineers, and mechanics around the world. In recent years, the sport has gained even more fuel thanks to its media boom, attracting numerous investors eager to use races as a platform to promote themselves and earn profits. This is the case with places like Saudi Arabia, Miami, and Las Vegas, where Grands Prix have become more social events than sporting competitions. The price to pay is the loss of historic tracks like Imola or Spa-Francorchamps, which will likely appear in the future only on a rotating basis.
Even the Montmelo circuit, the site of historic battles, risks disappearing in favor of the “Madring,” which will be developed around the Spanish capital. It’s unlikely that two races in the same country will remain, and Barcelona is expected to lose out. During media day, several drivers shared their thoughts on the change.
“I love racing here, it’s a beautiful city, even though I’ve never actually been to Madrid. I’ve only seen renderings of the new circuit, so I can’t really judge.
It would hurt to lose any of the classic tracks because they always have a great atmosphere, ever since Nando started. But maybe what matters is having a race in Spain. I’m fine with progress as a sport, as long as the Madrid circuit is a good one. With the latest ones, sometimes they haven’t done a good job,” Lewis Hamilton told the media.
Max Verstappen shared a similar view, admitting, “I like driving here. Sometimes it’s hard to overtake, but for all of Formula 1, it would be a loss.”
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