Belgian GP signs new F1 deal until 2031 on rotational basis

The Belgian Grand Prix has signed a new four-race contract extension, joining Formula 1’s planned rotational system.

Spa-Francorchamps’ schedule will see it host four F1 races over the next six seasons – 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031 – and exit the calendar in 2028 and 2030.

With the Belgian race’s contract set to expire after this year’s edition, organizers insisted on a new five-year deal.

But with interest in potential venues to host grands prix at an all-time high and F1 particularly keen to expand into Asia, Spa has long been considered one of several European tours to enter a rotational system. As was determined.

The end result is an agreement that will hand Spa, which depends on financial support by the Walloon government, a long-term deal that allows it to write off investments and move away from recent rounds of stressful short-term contract extensions. It also allows F1 to add a new slot to the calendar without exceeding the limit of 24 races per season.

Only the futures of Barcelona and Imola remain to be decided in the Spa deal, with deals for both races also set to expire. Like Spa, Imola’s current deal expires after this season, while Barcelona’s last race is currently scheduled for 2026, when it will lose its Spanish Grand Prix nickname for a new race in Madrid.

The Dutch Grand Prix of Zandvoort has seen less competition for a European slot in recent months after organizers of the Dutch Grand Prix decided to pull the plug on its event after the 2026 edition.

The Belgian Grand Prix, originally held on a scenic 14 km country road loop around the Ardennes forests, was one of the seven original races on the World Championship’s inaugural calendar in 1950.

After spells at Zolder and Nivelles, F1 returned to an abbreviated and modernized Spa-Francorchamps in the 80s, with the popular Ardennes circuit still considered a favorite of fans and drivers. Spa has hosted the Belgian Grand Prix annually since 1985, with two interruptions in 2003 and 2006.