The circuits Formula One left behind... and the ones that might return

Leaving the paddock in Barcelona last week, I found myself wondering when I’d next be back.

The answer, assuming the calendar stays as it is, is 2028.

For someone who has spent years travelling with Formula One, that’s quite an adjustment. There was a time when races like Barcelona, Spa, Monza and Silverstone felt like permanent fixtures. They were simply part of the rhythm of every season.

That certainty has changed.

Formula One has become increasingly competitive away from the track as well as on it. More countries want to host Grand Prix, governments are prepared to invest heavily and there are only so many weekends available. The calendar has become much more fluid than it was even a decade ago.

Spa will now alternate its place on the schedule and Barcelona will do the same after Madrid becomes the home of the Spanish Grand Prix.

It also made me think about some of the circuits we’ve already lost and whether any of them are really gone for good.

Istanbul Park is probably the first that comes to mind.

Over the years, if you ask drivers and engineers which circuit they would most like to see return, Turkey is usually near the top of the list. The layout flows beautifully, the elevation changes reward commitment and Turn Eight became one of the defining corners of the modern era.

Its last Formula One race came in 2021 after making a temporary return during the pandemic. Now, with the circuit due to return from 2027, it is a reminder that leaving the calendar does not always mean the story is over.

The circuit I miss the most is Sepang.