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F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has clarified that potential new races in Africa and elsewhere around the world aren’t going to replace traditional races in Europe.
Growing rumors suggest that the Monaco GP, along with the French and Belgian GPs, might be losing their slots in the calendar to newer venues. Domenicali, however, has reassured fans that the sport will remain committed to its roots.
Speaking at the Motorsport Network Business of F1 Forum in Monaco, Domenicali said:
“There are areas of the world that want to have Formula 1 and I think one area we want to develop is the African area. We are working very hard to make sure of this scenario, where we are going to have a grand prix soon, and then there is the interest of the Far East. But we don’t want to lose the interest, of course, of Europe. We were born here, and we will stay here.”
F1 has been criticized in recent years for its euro-centric approach. As the sport continues to add more races in the Middle East and Europe, many fans and drivers alike have demanded the sport’s return to Africa.
Earlier this year, the sport’s bosses had indicated that they were working on a potential return to Africa.
The F1 calendar is already close to the maximum number of races allowed within the Concorde agreement. Consequently, many have suggested that several old-school European venues may lose their place in the schedule to make way for new races.
Domenicali dismissed these suggestions as untrue, saying there are many options available to “make the right decisions”. He said:
“I hear a lot of voices that are not true. I mean, the beauty of the situation we are living in today is we have a lot of options. And we will make the right decision, how every promoter wants to be involved with us.”
A global sport like F1 needs a foothold in Africa
F1’s global director of race promotion Chloe Targett-Adams believes the sport needs a foothold in Africa to gain “global traction”. Speaking to the Motorsport Network, she said:
“We are a global sport; we need global traction. A foothold in Africa is something we’ve been working on for many years now. COVID showed us that we can race quickly, but really to get to where we want to be strategically, to build the sport and build the fan base, it’s kind of a couple of years’ process.”
F1 is currently aiming to return to Africa after a hiatus of nearly 29 years, with a potential race in the South African capital of Johannesburg or at the nearby Kyalami GP circuit.
