The calendar for the 2024 Formula 1 season is already starting to take shape

UPDATE as of July 10th: The F1 2024 calendar has been unveiled by F1 and the FIA.

How many Grand Prix are on the schedule? On which circuits will the drivers deliver epic battles? So many questions that the governing bodies of the sport have been working on for a while. Based on the current contracts of the circuits, it is possible to guess several locations where Formula 1 will stop during the 2024 season.

According to the current Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, up to 25 Grand Prix races per season are theoretically possible since the signing of the Concorde agreements. However, it is not clear yet whether Formula 1 will reach this maximum number in 2024. This is especially uncertain for the Belgian round at Spa-Francorchamps, which is facing an uncertain future. The historic circuit has signed a contract extension for only one year in 2022 and does not have a valid agreement with Formula 1 beyond 2023. This means that Spa could be dropped from the calendar if no new contract is signed.

At the beginning of the season, Jean Alesi let us know that 26 promoters have applied to host their Grand Prix.

Shanghai, China, on the other hand, is set to host a Grand Prix in 2024 for the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. This would indeed increase the number of races to 24 if the contract with Spa is possibly extended. A return of Formula 1 in France also seems to be ruled out in the medium term.

To obtain the organization of a sports competition registered on the FIA sports calendar, the circuit must meet very strict conditions set by the international body regarding the layout, surfacing, safety devices, and facilities. The organization of a Formula 1 Grand Prix can only take place if the circuits meet the FIA Grade 1 requirements.

How is the Formula 1 calendar adopted?

The race dates for next year’s Formula 1 season will first be negotiated with the circuits by the rights holder, Liberty Media. Generally, teams are also involved in these negotiations and kept informed of the progress made. However, the teams have no decision-making power.

As soon as a first draft is ready, it is usually published by the rights holder. This project often contains one or two asterisks – for example, if a contract with a circuit has not yet been signed, but an agreement is foreseeable.

As soon as all the contracts have been finalized and the last (*) asterisk » has been removed, the rights holder submits the calendar proposal to the FIA World Motor Sport Council. Only when all 26 members have given their approval (often a purely formal act) will the Formula 1 calendar for the next season be officially published by the FIA.

This council usually meets four times a year, including in October and December. Validation is possible as early as October. However, in practice, the Formula 1 calendar is usually officially confirmed only after the December meeting (shortly before the FIA end-of-year gala with the Formula 1 World Championship prize-giving ceremony).

The opening of the 2024 F1 season will probably take place in Saudi Arabia.

The 75th edition of the Formula 1 World Championship may have the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as the opening race. The monarchy has requested a special arrangement to be able to organize the Grand Prix before the start of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. Ramadan 2024 will begin on March 10th and end on April 9th. For example, the opening race in Jeddah could take place on March 3rd.

Originally, Melbourne in Australia was supposed to host the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2024, but it relinquishes the pole position of the race calendar to Saudi Arabia. However, this decision has not yet been confirmed by the FIA but only by the Saudi promoters.

The final race, on the other hand, is expected to take place on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, as it has for several seasons.

The Grand Prix in competition for the 2024 season (without considering dates)