Predictions and suggestions for F1's future circuit trends, inspired by years past

If there was any evidence that trends truly come and go, just note the alarming rebirth of the mullet over the past couple of years. Although the mullet probably sat in the pantheon of objects best left in the 1980s, like Reaganomics, New Coke and the Atari 5200, the return of the neck-tickling barnet into the stylistic vernacular certainly demonstrates that nothing is ever really new.

Formula 1 has endured similar phases of faddishness, sometimes reheated and served up warm having spent decades sitting at the back of the freezer. Ground effects came back, turbos came back. And now the FIA's president is talking about a return of naturally aspirated V8s, having previously touted V10s run on sustainable fuels as an option.

But what about circuits? On the eve of F1's Spa-Francorchamps weekend, an event that has wavered in the eyes of those who forge the calendars each year, it's important to take stock of tracks like these rather than simply take them for granted. The Belgian Grand Prix will become one of F1's 'rotational' races in the near future as demand outstrips calendar slot supply, meaning it will likely alternate with a similarly placed European round. It had looked for a long time as if Spa and Zandvoort would swap every year, but Zandvoort's ownership elected to kill its rebirth on the F1 calendar after the 2026 season, citing the increasing costs involved in hosting races.

Although the 'classic' circuits are revered by F1's fanbase and their omission from any future calendars will be seen as the rights holders kowtowing to countries with bigger pockets and more questionable human rights records, it's also sensible to accept the element of simple organic change throughout F1's 75 years. Sure, it is about money, but circuits do come and go. Those that are gone now can still return – did anyone seriously predict Imola and Zandvoort would come back, especially in an age where oil-rich Gulf states were all block-booking Hermann Tilke's calendar to design no-expense-spared desertdromes? 

The classics still have a place; actually, looking at the 2025 calendar, you'd be hard-pressed to say there are any really glaring omissions from F1 seasons past – maybe Hockenheim, Malaysia or, at a push, the Nurburgring. Losing Imola at the end of the year does hurt the old-school representation a little bit, but it's not as though the addition of the Madring represents a dull new future for F1 races; actually, it could be viewed as something of a throwback... charitably, at least.

Let's consider the early years of F1, back when it commanded a much less ubiquitous presence in the global news cycle. Of the seven races that formed the 1950 calendar, there were two permanent circuits in Silverstone and Monza, an oval course given the Indianapolis 500's still-contentious appearance on the F1 calendar, and four road/street courses at Monaco, Spa, Reims and Bremgarten.

Then purpose-built circuits began to become more popular additions to the bill: Argentina's Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez track was built in 1952 (it was known as the Autodromo 17 de Octubre until Juan Peron was overthrown in 1955) and joined the calendar in 1953, Rouen started to alternate with Reims, and both Zandvoort and the Nurburgring joined the schedule.

F1 has not always been about using permanent circuits

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

But that's not to say that there wasn't a wave of street/road courses either, as organisers closed off public roads with hay bales to make a course for racing; Pedralbes, Pescara, Ain-Diab, Boavista and AVUS were just some of the variety in tracks developed from existing roads. Not that any of them really stood the test of time...

For that reason, the circuits that emerged across the next two decades felt very different indeed; purpose built tracks were developed as cars became faster and more powerful. The endless barrage of country roads posed by the likes of Pescara and Boavista were generally put out to pasture; sure, the Charade circuit at Clermont-Ferrand appeared on the bill over those decades, but this was in the minority versus the introduction of venues like Watkins Glen, Kyalami and Brands Hatch; the demand for purpose-built tracks was spread across multiple continents.

The calendar's size stayed relatively static over the 1960s – there were 10 races in 1960 and 11 by 1969 – but 15 by the end of the next decade as global interest grew. And, while the desire for purpose built tracks continued across Europe in the 1970s, the vision changed slightly in North America. Consider that both Canada and the United States had run races on purpose built circuits during the 1960s but, with the addition of further US races to the calendar, largely moved towards street circuit formats in the latter half of the '70s. Long Beach and Montreal began that trend, which was bolstered by the likes of Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix and Caesars Palace across the 1980s as F1 struggled to find a home Stateside. 

France is overdue for a proper racing circuit that isn't called Le Mans, so let's say that someone updates Magny-Cours to make it a little more palatable for a modern-day crowd (for whom, presumably, frosted tips have made a comeback) as our Red Bull Ring cypher

Like Europe, South America continued with permanent circuits, but spells in the '70s and early '80s running extended versions of those tracks (Buenos Aires and Interlagos proving to be quite labyrinthine in those days) eventually ended up in them being shortened. A new breed of European circuits also started to emerge on the F1 calendar, with similar characteristics of long corners and tight, technical sections; Estoril and Barcelona (designed in the '80s before construction was completed in 1991) were considered to look alike, while the Hungaroring and new GP-Strecke layout for the Nurburgring also bore similar hallmarks. 

Across the 1990s, F1 circuits started to prioritise refurbishment rather than genuine new venues; Kyalami was completely reworked and only wrapped the south portion of the track into the design, Silverstone continued to receive new cornering complexes as Brands Hatch fell off the calendar, and the Osterreichring was remodelled into the A1-Ring (now the Red Bull Ring) in time for 1997. Australia kept things fresh, at least; Adelaide went, and was replaced by Albert Park for a quasi-street venue. But F1 had lost the US races by this time, and was shedding some of its European races (Estoril, Jerez, et al) in favour of brave new markets across Asia – starting with Malaysia.

Sepang heralded the boom of 'modern' venues – Shanghai and Bahrain followed, as did Turkey. And, while China and Bahrain have proven to be mainstays of the F1 calendar, as has Abu Dhabi, other venues were more ephemeral. India came and went, Turkey had its moments, and Korea had been and gone in the blink of an eye.

The F1 calendar has constantly chopped and changed over the years

Photo by: Hazrin Yeob Men Shah

So assuming history repeats itself in linear fashion, we're currently reliving the 1980s with the names changed; Trump replaces Reagan, one of the other wars going on currently will be a cipher for the Cold War and other conflicts, and the demonisation of the trans community fills in for that experienced by the gay community during the AIDS crisis. Other than proving that humanity either cannot learn from history or simply refuses to do so, we're also in the phase of US street tracks and, weirdly, new circuits in Spain (Jerez and Barcelona both having been conceived or built in the '80s).

So let's assume that we're going to hit the 2030s as we would have hit the 1990s, with a handful of more traditional venues returning to the calendar with considerable layout changes. France is overdue for a proper racing circuit that isn't called Le Mans, so let's say that someone updates Magny-Cours to make it a little more palatable for a modern-day crowd (for whom, presumably, frosted tips have made a comeback) as our Red Bull Ring cypher. Let's add a full return for the Algarve circuit after its two-year stint on the calendar, along with Kyalami – now that it's got a different opening sector after receiving more changes a couple of years ago to ensure F1 gets an African race back in the picture.

The question is, what makes way? F1 had room in the '90s because many of its US street-slop circuits had departed, as did Mexico and some of its less interesting European venues. Mexico has recently extended its current tenure to 2028 at least, but it very much feels like it and Barcelona will occupy the cutting room floor at some point in the next few years. Zandvoort's departure also leaves space, and it's not entirely certain that Las Vegas will be around for much longer either. There's room to refresh a static. 

Beyond the street circuit and our baseless predictions of '90s-style refurbishments, we'll surely reach that moment where the trend of sinking money into purpose-built venues comes back. The thing is, the circuits we have now are – by and large – quite good, and rarely fall into disrepair to the point where something entirely new is needed; so this, like the appearance of new circuits in the Middle East around 15-20 years ago, will be best left to moneyed nations where a traditional racing infrastructure currently does not exist. Geopolitics has a hefty role to play in where the circuits end up.

Although many will be disappointed by the apparent swell in street venues (although there aren't that many), presumably because these offer perceived lesser racing experiences compared to the purpose built circuits, you need only look at the examples of India and Korea spaffing endless riches on race circuits that have scarcely been used since the departure of F1. Thailand wants a race, but Buriram isn't big enough to handle F1; Rwanda wants a race, and will probably produce a purpose built circuit to get one. 

And then what? I'm sure it will be the done thing to get Hockenheim and the Nurburgring back, and nor is the door shut on the likes of Imola and Zandvoort if they can find the investment (and maybe the space to expand, unless cars shrink a little bit more). It's cyclical; our favourites will come and go, just as the circuits we generally like less will also find themselves sliding down the back of the sofa. 

Alternatively, if any race promoters are looking at this for inspiration, just build a properly good circuit in France. Find a convenient locale near an airport (thus getting around the Magny-Cours logistics problem) and ensure it can sustain F1 for the next 40-odd years with an atmosphere to rival Spa and Silverstone. But most would take any kind of racing in L'Hexagone, just as long as it's not Paul Ricard.

When will the French Grand Prix return?

Photo by: French GP