The FIA World Motor Sport Council recently met in Macau and made a few vital decisions regarding the top echelons of the sport. Among the decisions that were ratified include 2025 calendars for all the FIA World Championship events. Sadly, there will be no No F1, Formula E or W2RC for SA in 2026. 

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SA F1 Dream

The 2026 F1 calendar commences in Australia on 8 March with the season finale in Abu Dhabi on 6 December. The 2026 schedule will, once again, feature 24 races. Interestingly, Imola has been replaced by Madrid. So we have gone from there being two races in Italy to having two races in Spain. The USA still hosts three rounds (Miami, Austin and Las Vegas). More attention has been paid to geographical flow for better efficiency. As a result there are groupings of races in particular geographical areas.

Local F1 fans have been dreaming of a race taking place on local soil for years. The minister of sport has been quite vocal about the success of his tenure resting on him being able to bring a race to SA. The department has even taken bids from a few interested parties. The idea being that the most successful ie best bid would be presented to the FIA. The entire process seems to have gone quiet. Our sources tell us that none of the bids were of an adequate level to impress the FIA and Formula One. As a result, no local company ie promoter has yet been appointed to pitch to the sport’s governing body.

Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, said, “2026 will be a new era for Formula 1 where we will witness a brand-new set of regulations for our sport, the cars and the engines that will be powered by 100% sustainable fuel. We are excited to welcome Madrid to the calendar, and to see huge automotive brands like Audi, Cadillac and Ford join the Formula 1 grid. It promises to be an unforgettable season, where once again we will come together at 24 amazing global venues to watch the best drivers in the world push themselves to the limit and produce incredible wheel to wheel racing for our millions of fans watching around the globe.” 

No W2RC or Formula E Either

Surprisingly, there will be no W2RC in SA either. The third round of the 2025 series, which started with the Dakar Rally, visited SA just a few weeks ago. By all accounts it was a success with visiting teams impressed by the organisation of the event as well as the variety of terrain. Rally raid legend Nasser Al Attiyah said of the event: “It was really nice to be here in South Africa. We’d like to come back.” It was a sentiment echoed by WRC icon Sebastien Loeb: “It is my second time in South Africa, but my first outside Cape Town where I raced in World Rallycross. Going on safari and seeing so much of the landscape during the stages was very beautiful.”

Formula E won’t be making a return to SA either in 2026. The sole event in SA, which took place a few years ago, was voted the best of the 2023 season. Cape Town’s street circuit provided exciting racing and a picturesque backdrop in the form of Table Mountain and the Atlantic Seaboard. There is, however, a double-header blank spot in the 2026 schedule. But will we see the series race on local soil again…?

Calendar image sourced from FIA.com.