ARTICLE AD BOX
The recently released 2026 F1 calendar has surprised many, with the confirmation that Imola will not be part of the sport’s world tour.
The Imola circuit is seeking a return to the racing calendar after failing to secure a place on the schedule for next season.
F1 confirmed a 24-race calendar for the 2026 season on Tuesday morning, with Madrid replacing Imola.
Imola returned to the F1 calendar in 2020 during a season hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and managed to hold onto its place for several years. Although the event has been removed from the schedule for now, Imola is announcing its return to the F1 calendar.
“The provisional Formula 1 calendar for the 2026 season has been published, with Imola excluded from it,” said a statement signed by Imola’s mayor, Marco Panieri.
“This news was familiar to us, and understandably, it raises questions, disappointment and bitterness, as our region has shown in recent years its ability to host an extraordinary event with record numbers.
“The Imola race was one of the most beloved and appreciated among fans and drivers, as was evident in the days following the race. Its uniqueness was clear: combining a race on the track with the charms of the region, starting from a historic center that can be experienced.”
“However, we want to be very clear: this news does not represent the end of the story,” he emphasizes.
“We have always been aware of the complexity of the dynamics associated with the calendar, which was complicated from the very beginning. The contract signed in 2021, which many considered unfeasible at the time, provided for the stable return of the race to Imola by 2025.”
“As the Emilia Romagna Region and the Municipality of Imola, among the initiators of the initiative, we have done everything possible. We have repeatedly stressed the importance and strategic nature of this issue to all the stakeholders involved with transparency, clarity and full readiness for institutional collaboration.”
Imola
Imola has not had an uninterrupted series of races since its return to the 2020 schedule, as its 2023 race was cancelled due to devastating floods in the area.
The statement noted that funds have already been invested for next year’s event, given that the race was cancelled two seasons ago.
“The Region, through the Emilia Romagna Region, the Municipality of Imola and the territorial consortium Con.Ami, confirmed its readiness more than a year in advance and has already provided the necessary funds in the budget for 2026, as requested by other institutional and sporting partners.”
"This follows a pledge made to make up for the 2023 edition, canceled due to dramatic flooding."
"This region, when it takes on an obligation, is used to honoring it and being ready whenever necessary: as it was in 2020, when, in a world paralyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Imola made itself available to Formula 1 in need."
"This is not the time for polemics or accusations, nor for giving up. Now is the time for everyone to take responsibility and start talking about returning to the calendar again.
"For this reason, on May 26, we asked the government and sports authorities to open an institutional table in order to precisely define the conditions, methods of support and cooperation for the return of the race to Imola."
"To those who live and love Imola, Emilio Romagna and this race, we say that - at a time when it would be easy to succumb to disappointment or polemics - now is the time for perseverance and constructive dedication, increasingly broad and common."
"The game is not over, and so far, we have achieved goals that seemed impossible just a few years ago."
English (US) ·