The ‘very bad sign’ that suggests Spa might have a ‘limited future’ on the Formula 1 calendar

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The future of Spa Francorchamps is currently uncertain on the Formula 1 calendar, amid plans to expand to other venues by Liberty Media.

Spa has long been considered one of F1’s legacy events having been on the roster since the 1960s, but the track has encountered its fair share of financial challenges over the years.

The current Concorde Agreement allows for up to 25 races in a season, but the consensus among those in the paddock is that 24 races are currently the maximum capacity.

With Madrid set to arrive on the calendar in 2026, plans are being drawn for one or more races on the current calendar to rotate. Spa will see its current deal to host the Belgian Grand Prix run out at the end of the 2025 season, and Liberty Media could potentially entertain the idea of rotating the race with Zandvoort.

READ MORE: Which F1 drivers do well at Belgian Grand Prix with Michael Schumacher successful at Spa

Discussing the future of Spa in his latest blog post, journalist Joe Saward believes there is one reason why the track could be facing a challenging future.

Belgian politician accuses Liberty Media of having ‘too much power’ in F1

Spa was a sellout this year with 1,500 tickets sold just weeks before it staged the final race before the summer break in July.

The track has also been selected as one of the Sprint rounds for the 2025 season, but Saward believes recent comments made by a Belgian politician could indicate that its future is in doubt.

“It was fascinating in recent days to see that a German-speaking Belgian politician Pascal Arimont, who comes from the Spa area and is a European MP, is saying that Liberty Media has too much power in sport. This is a very bad sign for Spa,” wrote Saward.

“Belgium is trying to negotiate a new deal with F1 for the future and this is just the sort of thing that will antagonise Liberty Media. Arimont’s comments are most likely related to these negotiations and may indicate that the Belgian GP has a limited future. Or it could just be that Arimont is clumsy.”

Spa Fracorchamps invested millions in track improvements

Spa underwent major resurfacing works before the race this year along with several other safety enhancements.

The resurface increased overall levels of grip and resulted in lap times that were up to three seconds quicker.

It also comes after the circuit made upgrades in 2022 that cost around £70 million to enable it to host motorcycle racing, with new spectator facilities also set to be added over the next 10 years.

The investment enables the track to host a variety of motorsport events in the future, while also improving safety after various incidents over the years.