F1 leaders are faced with a growing number of requests for new venues to hold races as Qatar and Las Vegas become permanent from next year.
It comes as Grand Prix Racing quickly reaches the maximum number of 25 races allowed under the terms of the Concorde Agreement.
But even though there is currently room to expand without falling short of any of the current Grand Prix, F1 CEO Domenicali believes some existing spaces need to be made.
This could mean that they completely fall out of the calendar, or only occur on a rotational basis with other places.
Asked if new additions to the F1 calendar have prompted thinking about some races to be replaced, Domenicali told select media outlets – including Motorsport.com’s Italian website – in Bahrain: “The process has actually already begun.
“There are some promoters who have expired contracts, and probably some of the current Grand Prix will no longer be part of the calendar. Others, however, remain in a different form, such as rotating between different tracks.
“Soon the voters we make will be announced, and you can expect some new Grand Prix. But it’s not yet easy to plan everything in advance.
“If we take China, for example, we must try to understand what the situation regarding the COVID issue will be in the future, as we did last year with a view to 2022.”
China has been left out of the pandemic in the calendar in recent years
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
While some current locations have secured long-term contracts, with Bahrain recently announcing a new deal until 2036, others are still up for discussion.
It is understood that France, Monaco, Belgium and Mexico have not yet concluded dealers over this year.
The French GP’s future is the most uncertain, despite recent encouraging words of support from country president Emmanuel Macron, while Domenicali says traditional places – such as Monaco and Spa – can not accept that their places are guaranteed.
“We know we have to balance the arrival of new races with historic Grand Prix, and tracks that will continue to be a part of our calendar,” he said.
“The arrival of offers from new promoters has an advantage for the F1 platform, and that is to force the organizers of traditional Grand Prix to increase their quality level, what they offer the public, and infrastructure and management of the event.
“It’s not enough to have a family tree anymore. You also have to show that you can handle it.”
While a calendar shuffle could lose their only Grand Prix in some countries, Domenicali sees no problem in having three potential Grand Prixes in the US – with Las Vegas joining Miami and Austin next year.
“The interest that Formula 1 is gaining today in the United States has never been seen before,” he said.
Miami will join the calendar this year, and a third U.S. race in Las Vegas has also been completed
Photo by: Miami Dolphins
“It would be wrong for us not to take advantage of this opportunity and we are trying to understand how we are dealing with this growth.
“There is also a lot of interest in the Far East. Guanyu Zhou’s arrival in Formula One draws attention and does not surprise us.
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“About Ferrari, in the end, it is the drivers who are growing the interest in this sport in their countries. We have seen it in Brazil, in Spain and there are many other examples.
“From China we have new requests to host a Grand Prix, and Zhou has yet to make his first run.”
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