Over the last five years, the popularity of Formula 1 racing has skyrocketed, largely thanks to Drive To Survive, a Netflix docudrama series on the sport.
In the United States, race viewership has doubled since its premiere in 2017, from an average of 538,000 per-race average to over 1.21 million viewers in 2022.
Formula 1 responded to the sudden surge in U.S. popularity by adding two new stateside races in Miami and Las Vegas. The United States Grand Prix, which has been on the F1 calendar since 2012, takes place at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The Miami and Las Vegas additions now mean that the United States has the most races of any country in the world. Moreover, these US tracks are just two of four new circuits added to the grid since 2021.
This raises the question: which kinds of racing tracks can host an F1 race? The question ultimately comes down to the decision made at Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, known more commonly as the FIA.
FIA Track Grades
Monterey County's Laguna Seca is one of the most iconic racing circuits in the United States. As Formula 1 looked to bring more races to the states before the Miami and Las Vegas Grand Prix, U.S. fans longed for a race at Laguna. However, that was impossible because Laguna Seca is a Grade 2 track, and all Formula 1 races take place at tracks with a Grade 1 license.
There are six grades of tracks, with the lowest Grade 6 featuring autocross and rallycross road racing. Oval tracks, such as Daytona International Speedway or Talladega Superspeedway, do not grade, as NASCAR and IndyCar have their own standards for ovals.
These grades come from various standards, including a minimum of 3.5 kilometers, with straights at most two kilometers and circuits not exceeding seven kilometers. These standards also include safety-related requirements, such as Armco and Tecpro barriers. There must also be a certain distance between the track and spectator seating, with specified catch fence and runoff area regulations. If your favorite track is not on the Formula 1 calendar and you want to know why, look for its grade.
Entertainment Value
With Formula 1's newfound popularity came a desire to race at more entertaining tracks for fans. Without question, Circuit de Monaco is the most well-known and prestigious circuit in Formula 1, if not all of racing. It is known affectionately as Formula 1's crown jewel. However, it is also known for its boring racing. Qualifying is electric, but with only a few straights, one Drag Reduction System (DRS) zone, and a windy, narrow circuit, overtaking at Monaco is nearly impossible.
Formula 1 aimed to improve this with the new car regulations in 2022, which improved airflow and allowed cars to follow each other closely without degrading the tires as quickly or getting caught in dirty air. This change was purely to create more overtaking and wheel-to-wheel racing.
With that change, Formula 1 is also looking to improve tracks to make them more conducive to overtaking. Circuits like Abu Dhabi and Spain adapted by removing chicanes to lengthen high-speed zones, while tracks like Las Vegas are designed with long straights and several DRS zones to make racing more entertaining.
Which Tracks Missed The Cut?
With the increase in new circuits, many being street circuits, several Formula 1 staples have yet to catch the cut in recent years. These include Circuit Paul Ricard, which hosted the French Grand Prix intermittently from 1971-2022, and the Hockenheimring, host of the German Grand Prix intermittently from 1977-2019. Countries with circuits that were on the calendar but have since been removed include China, Portugal, Russia, India, and Turkey.
However, this doesn't mean we will never see them again. With Formula 1's surging popularity and a 23-race schedule to work with, we could see a calendar rotation system. Formula 1's CEO Stefano Domenicali has suggested this as a potential direction to include more tracks. As it stands, dozens of qualified circuits are not currently on the calendar, many of which are fan favorites.
What Does This Mean for the Future?
Formula 1 is the fastest-growing sport in the United States if not the entire world. As a result, the sport is pulling out all the stops to capitalize on its newfound popularity, as reflected in adding two new U.S. events in just two seasons. With that said, the growing calendar remains a significant question. Thanks to the addition of new tracks, more than a dozen tracks with Grade 1 licenses from the FIA are currently out of the calendar. And this isn't limited to fringe tracks - Circuits like Hockenheimring, Circuit Paul Ricard, and Algarve International Circuit in Portimao have historic significance in the sport.
Tracks like the Shanghai International Circuit, which rejoins the calendar in 2024, are new and exciting tracks that missed the cut. The demand for hosting a Formula 1 race is high, and many countries are putting their best efforts forward to create a Grade 1 track worthy of a race. Time will tell how Formula 1 handles the logjam of great circuits.
