Formula One was born in Europe. It grew up on the old roads of Spa, Monza, Silverstone. It made its legends in the forests of Belgium, the hills of Italy, the streets of Monaco. Europe was Formula One. It was everything. But now, all of that is slipping away. One by one, the old circuits are falling off the calendar. Paul Ricard is gone. Hockenheim is gone. Nürburgring is gone. Even Zandvoort, packed with Verstappen fans, will be gone after twenty twenty-six. Spa survives only because they agreed to show up every few years instead of every season.
Because today, Formula One is not just about Europe anymore. It is about Saudi Arabia. It is about Miami. It is about Las Vegas and Qatar and Singapore. It is about massive money, huge contracts, governments willing to spend anything just to have a race on the calendar.
First Bernie Ecclestone planted the seeds. Then Liberty Media hit the gas. Now there is no looking back. The new F1 calendar is not built around tradition. It is built around whoever pays the most, whoever builds the biggest spectacle, whoever brings the most cash to the table.
Europe still has a few spots on the Formula One calendar. But the clock is ticking. Will we see only 3 races in Europe at some point? I guess so.