Aug.18 (GMM) Formula 1’s revenues have taken a significant hit from the disrupted 2026 calendar, even as the sport insists its controversial new era is attracting more fans and talks over a long-awaited African race accelerate.
Liberty Media revealed that F1 generated $764 million in the second quarter – down 38 percent from $1.226 billion a year earlier, with operating income collapsing from $293 million to $73 million.
The main explanation is the disrupted calendar in the midst of the Middle East conflict involving Iran.
Liberty’s accounts effectively confirm that F1 is currently planning for only 23 grands prix rather than the original 24.
The abandoned Bahrain GP has been rescued through the unusual October event at Sepang, but Liberty says the 2026 calendar is now “assumed to hold 23 races”, meaning the cancelled Saudi Arabian GP is presently not expected to be replaced.
“Additional calendar changes may be necessary,” Liberty nevertheless cautioned.
Financially, the disruption contrasts starkly with F1’s own recent assessment of the health of the new-regulation era.
Formula 1 says all 11 grands prix covered by its half-year review were sold out, with 3.7 million spectators attending compared with 3.4 million at the equivalent races last year, while six circuits broke attendance records.
Perhaps more strikingly given the criticism of the radically different 2026 cars and ‘Mario Kart’-style racing, F1’s 60,000-member Fan Voice panel rated 66 percent of the racing ‘Good or Excellent’, compared with 60 percent last season.
The sport also claims a worldwide following exceeding 830 million, up 64 percent since 2018, with 43 percent of fans under 35 and women comprising three-quarters of new followers.
That growth is intensifying pressure to finally fill the most obvious geographical hole in the calendar – Africa.
South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie told City AM that F1 cannot realistically call itself global while an entire continent remains absent.
“If you look at the African continent, and then you look at Europe – between Monza, Imola, and Monaco, it’s a close distance – you have got three Formula 1 races and in the whole African continent there is none,” he said.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali now says that situation could change.
“Negotiations are progressing very well in Africa,” he is quoted as saying by Eurosport Italia.
South Africa and Rwanda remain the chief possibilities, while Domenicali revealed that F1 is simultaneously fielding renewed interest from Argentina, Thailand and even Germany.
“We have open discussions in South America, where there is keen interest in a return to Argentina, which has been absent since 1998, and in the Far East,” said the Italian.
Join Grand Prix Tours in Austin, Texas for the high-energy 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Experience nonstop action on one of Formula 1’s most exciting tracks, featuring dramatic elevation changes, thrilling overtakes, and a packed race weekend. Off the track, enjoy a festival atmosphere with live music, world-famous BBQ, and buzzing nightlife. Your Grand Prix Tours package includes a fully curated race weekend, highlighted by exclusive access to our private F1 Celebrity Talk Show, where guests gain insider insights and behind-the-scenes perspectives. With demand soaring and this event quickly becoming a modern American racing tradition, now is the time to secure your spot for an unforgettable Austin Grand Prix experience.
SHOW PACKAGES
There are motorsport events, and then there is the Indianapolis 500, the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Next year marks Grand Prix Tours' 42nd Indianapolis 500 tour and our decades of experience and local connections provide exclusive access that few fans ever enjoy, including police escorts on race day, a Dallara IndyCar Factory tour, Gasoline Alley and Legends Day, the Driver Introduction Ceremony, and a private dinner with former Indy driver Derek Daly. Combined with excellent hotel accommodations, seamless event planning, and Grand Prix Tours' signature service, this is far more than a race weekend; it's a once-in-a-lifetime motorsport experience. With tour spaces limited each year, we encourage you to reserve your place early for the 111th Indianapolis 500.
SHOW PACKAGES
Experience Formula 1 at its most iconic with an unforgettable trip to the 2027 Grand Prix de Monaco. Feel the excitement as the world’s best drivers race through the legendary streets of Monte Carlo, surrounded by superyachts, Mediterranean views, and the unmistakable glamour of Monaco. From incredible race viewing to carefully selected accommodations, Grand Prix Tours brings you closer to the action at one of the most prestigious and spectacular events in all of motorsport.
SHOW PACKAGES
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the ultimate test of speed, strategy, and endurance. Watch the world's top manufacturers battle for 24 nonstop hours in one of motorsport's most prestigious events. With Grand Prix Tours handling your accommodations, transfers, and ticket options, all that's left is to experience this unforgettable bucket-list race.
SHOW PACKAGES
Feel the roar of Formula 1 at its spiritual home. Silverstone is one of the fastest and most demanding circuits in the world, where brave overtakes, lightning-fast direction changes, and flat-out commitment separate the best from the rest. Combined with the electric atmosphere created by hundreds of thousands of passionate fans, the British Grand Prix delivers a race weekend unlike any other.
SHOW PACKAGES