Some common sense! F1 put fears to bed with contract announcement

There's been a sudden gear change in Formula 1 recently. With Liberty Media at the helm, the definition of a Grand Prix weekend was seemingly starting to change. Bright lights, city backgrounds, artificial street circuits, forced theatrics and much more. A lot of it came with great success, but there was a fear those ingredients were being used all too frequently. With the British Grand Prix now staying at Silverstone, F1 has assured fans that tradition is still a crucial part of their view towards the future.

F1 fans living in fear

The big change has seen the introduction of Grands Prix in Saudi Arabia, Miami, Las Vegas and soon-to-be Madrid. These tracks are (at least largely) held on street circuits. Meanwhile, Barcelona is likely to drop off the calendar. There are fresh fears about the future of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. And the buck isn't expected to stop there.

Formula 1 has seemingly maxed out the number of slots on the calendar. The 2024 season will feature 24 races. That was supposed to happen in 2023, but the Chinese and Imola Grands Prix were cancelled. Many prominent figures in the paddock, including Christian Horner, described a 22-race calendar as "intense, " let alone 24. With all these (in some cases extremely long) contracts being signed and rumours of more, space was starting to run out for those traditional circuits. 

This left the F1 world questioning which Grand Prix would be next to be removed from the calendar. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone was often questioned, and fans feared it would be replaced by another city street circuit race. Those fears have now been ended with the Silverstone deal.

Common sense

To put it simply, this announcement is a crowd-pleaser. The fans have already reacted positively on social media. But it's not just for fans. It's the same for teams and drivers. It's a local race for many F1 teams and helpful for sponsors and partnerships. The drivers love the circuit. A similar can be said for F1's recent deal with the Japanese Grand Prix. The latest contracts show that F1 is not just going for the money.

Silverstone and Suzuka are the most recent examples of this, but with the Hungaroring (2032), the Canadian Grand Prix (2031) and the Brazilian GP (2030), more deals were renewed from those traditional circuits. It is hoped that this will also apply to some Grands Prix whose contracts expire at the end of 2025.

As said above, the direction Liberty Media has taken F1 recently has been questioned. However, this highlights that they do want to keep traditional values. They are keen to support what the fans love the most. 

Silverstone changes

That said, Silverstone itself has undergone a fair number of changes in recent years to ensure it keeps up with the party atmosphere seen elsewhere. Kings of Leon, Stormzy, and Rudimental will perform on stage this year. It's now like a mini-Glastonbury. There are various fan experiences, fairground rides, and probably DJs nearby. But there's enough action to please the 'hardcore traditional F1 fan'.