Formula 1 is constantly striving to find the next big thing and it is therefore little wonder that fans greet every new driver, team and circuit with high levels of excitement. New F1 tracks in particular tend to generate great interest, helping to bring the sport to a whole new fan base and creating a headache for F1 engineers who can't rely on data accumulated from previous seasons to help guide set up and strategy decisions.
The success of the Netflix series 'Drive to Survive" and the new F1 Movie starring Brad Pitt has made the sport more popular than ever before. This has created a bit of a backlog of countries with plans for F1 tracks that they are hoping to see added to the calendar in the coming years.
To keep you up to speed, we thought we'd provide a run down of the future F1 tracks which are looking set to be added to the calendar in the upcoming seasons. Let's start off with one of the confirmed new F1 tracks for 2026.
Madrid - The Madring
Not all the new F1 tracks on this list are certain to be added to the calendar, but the brand new city centre F1 circuit in Madrid is completely nailed on for the 2026 F1 season.
Scheduled to be held over the weekend of 11-13th September 2026, this brand new f1 track has a ten year contract running through to 2035. Consisting of 22 corners and covering a distance of 3.36 miles, the 'Madring' is going to be a hybrid circuit made up of permanent race circuit sections around the IFEMA halls and temporary sections taking place on the main public roads which will be closed off each year for the duration of the event.
The circuit will be relatively high speed in nature with cars expected to reach speeds of over 210mph down the longest straight. Drivers will also face a heavily banked turn called "La Monumental" which will take the cars six seconds to traverse and have an adjacent grandstand hosting 45,000 spectators.
Barcelona has been the official venue of the Spanish Grand Prix since 1991 with its Catalunya circuit. Madrid will be taking over the official Spanish Grand Prix moniker for 2026, with the Barcelona race being retained under a different title. This will see Spain host two rounds of the Formula One World Championship for the first time since 2012.
Madrid last hosted an F1 race in 1981 on its Jarama circuit in San Sebastian which is located 20 miles north of the main city centre. The location of the new track is in keeping with recent F1 trends of hosting events in major city centres so as to bring the sport to a new, wider demographic as opposed to only focusing on existing motor racing fans.
You can make sure you are there for the inaugural race at the Madring with the best seats in the house when you book a luxury Madrid F1 holiday package with Elegant Sports.
Africa
The only continent where Formula 1 does not currently have a race is Africa. This is a limitation which has been highlighted by Lewis Hamilton, who said that the sport had "no excuse" not to have an event in the continent if it is truly going to be considered a World Championship series.
A push from the sport to invite applicants to host a Grand Prix in Africa has so far drawn three serious competing entries, two of which are from South Africa. One of these is from the Kyalami circuit which hosted the last South African Grand Prix in 1993. Another is from a group who are hoping to host a race on a brand new F1 street track in the middle of Cape Town. The third application is from the country of Rwanda which has full government support and has already employed the services of former F1 driver Alex Wurz to design a brand new F1 circuit near Bugesera International Airport.
Out of the two South African bids it is the Kyalami application which is considered to be the most realistic after those responsible for the Cape Town bid criticised South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie for demanding a R10 million deposit from any groups hoping to be considered in the bidding process. This suggests that money may be a limiting factor. Kyalami's owners meanwhile have recently committed to a significant redevelopment project aimed at bringing the circuit up to the Grade 1 standard required to host a new F1 race.
The Rwanda bid meanwhile appears to have the financial clout to successfully host a grand prix. However, there are political considerations relating to Rwanda's conflict with the Democratic Republic of Congo which may impact on the viability of the country hosting an FIA sanctioned event.
Thailand
Formula One has never been bigger in Thailand thanks to the presence on the grid of home favourite Alex Albon and the success of the Red Bull F1 team which is 51% owned by the Thai Yoovidhya family, headed by multi billionaire Chalerm Yoovidhya who is believed to be the wealthiest man in Thailand with a reputed net worth of $36 billion.
Money is not an obstacle in the bid from Thailand to bring a new F1 track to the calendar, with finance expected to mainly come from private sector contributions. The new F1 circuit is set to be a street race in the capital of Bangkok in the Chatuchak region, again fitting in with recent moves to bring F1 races to city centre locations. Thailand's cabinet has officially approved the bid with the first Thai F1 race set to be added to the F1 calendar in 2028.
Saudi Arabia
Unlike Thailand, Saudi Arabia already has a place on the F1 calendar, with its Jeddah Street Circuit being one of the official 2025 F1 tracks. However, the country is planning to build a brand new F1 circuit near the country's capital city Riyadh. The circuit is expected to be completed by 2027 and will replace the existing Jeddah street track on the F1 calendar at some point before 2030.
No expense is being spared in the construction of the new F1 track which is expected to cost upwards of $500 million. This will include the creation of a brand new entertainment complex that will host other live events including the post F1 race concerts.
A key feature of the new circuit will be a dramatic first corner called 'The Blade' which will have an elevation change of 108 metres; this is the equivalent of a 35 storey high building! The Blade will no doubt prove a challenge to both drivers and their cars, but will also create an incredible spectacle for fans at the circuit. The new layout is the work of acclaimed F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke and former Grand Prix driver Alex Wurz who has already been referenced in relation to Rwanda's bid.
Make sure you are there in person, as a new F1 track is added to the calendar by purchasing tickets to the 2026 Madrid Grand Prix with Elegant Resorts. Will Fernando Alonso be able to win his first home grand prix since 2013? Whatever the case, the atmosphere at this new city centre venue is sure to be electric.