10 tracks to leave F1 and come back

Written by Liam Ploetner, Edited by Meghana Sree

Following the recent announcement of Istanbul Park’s return to Formula One, here are 10 tracks to have left F1 and then returned for a period to the calendar.

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Istanbul Park

Starting with the one currently in the news, Türkiye’s Istanbul Park will be returning to F1 in 2027 after being off the calendar since 2021, when Valtteri Bottas took his final Grand Prix win to date. However, Istanbul Park was on the calendar in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19, rather than being a permanent fixture.

The last time it was permanently on the calendar was from 2005-2011. The main man around the circuit was Felipe Massa, who took three of his 11 Grand Prix wins at the circuit. The track was designed by Hermann Tilke, but unlike many of his recent tracks, Istanbul Park was acclaimed by many. One corner in particular that stood out was Turn 8, which seemed like a never-ending corner for some.

Two drivers on the current grid have won in Türkiye. Lewis Hamilton took two victories, in 2010 and, most famously, in 2020, to claim his record-equalling seventh World Championship.

Istanbul Park will return to F1 from 2027 until at least 2031.

Zandvoort

Zandvoort, by contrast to Istanbul Park, will be leaving F1 at the end of this year. Originally, Zandvoort held F1 races from 1952 to 1985, with legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Niki Lauda and Alain Prost winning in the Netherlands. What followed was 36 years away, before F1 came back to the sandy dunes in 2021.

F1 returned to the venue largely due to the popularity of Max Verstappen, and the return of the track coincided with the Dutchman’s success in F1, as he won three consecutive Dutch Grands Prix from 2021-2023. Unfortunately, the local promoters of the circuit did not seek an extension to their contract, and Zandvoort will leave the F1 calendar at the end of 2026.

Imola

The only track to hold an Italian Grand Prix not called Monza since 1949, Imola started life in F1 in 1980, being the Italian Grand Prix for a year after Monza had changes made to the circuit due to safety issues. The circuit became most notable for hosting the San Marino Grand Prix, which included 1994’s tragic event which saw the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna.

Credit: Formula One

Following safety changes, Imola remained on the calendar until 2006, and did not come back until COVID-19. The track hosted two races during COVID, and was given a permanent slot on the calendar until 2025, hosting three F1 races in 2022, 2024 and 2025, as 2023’s edition was cancelled due to flooding. At the end of 2025, Imola and the now-named Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix left the calendar.

Paul Ricard

Circuit Paul Ricard, named after the man who helped build the circuit, is known for its long run-offs. It hosted the French Grands Prix first in the 1970s, playing host to events such as Ronnie Peterson’s first Grand Prix victory in 1973, and underdog stories such as Leyton House’s podium with Ivan Capelli in 1990. The latter would be the last Grand Prix at the track until 2018, when F1 returned to France after 10 years away, following a stint at Magny-Cours from 1991 to 2008.

2022’s race saw a crash from Charles Leclerc while leading which contributed to ending his championship challenge to eventual race winner Max Verstappen, who won the final two races there. The track was not positively received by fans, and at the end of 2022, Paul Ricard left the F1 calendar. 

Mexico City

A track steeped in racing history, Mexico City has been a fixture on the F1 calendar on and off since 1963. The track is named after Mexican heroes Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez, who were Mexico’s greatest Grand Prix drivers until Sergio Pérez.

Its first stint was in the 1960s and early 70s, with the likes of Clark, Graham Hill, John Surtees and Denny Hulme all taking victory. 1964 saw a three-way title battle decided on the final lap, with Surtees beating Hill and Clark to the championship that year.

Mexico returned in 1986, remaining until 1992, with a highlight of this era being Nigel Mansell’s overtake on Gerhard Berger around the outside on the final lap of the Grand Prix in 1990.

The final return of the circuit came in 2015, and it has continued on the calendar since, with Verstappen in particular having a strong record there.

Red Bull Ring

A fan favourite track in the Styrian Hills, the Red Bull Ring first hosted a Grand Prix in 1970, with fans cheering on home hero Jochen Rindt, who was fighting for the F1 title. After his death, a new hero emerged in Lauda, who became the only Austrian to win his home Grand Prix in 1984. 

1975, 1976 and 1977’s races saw the sole Grand Prix wins for driver Vittorio Brambilla, and teams Penske and Shadow, and 1982 had a legendary finish between Elio de Angelis’ Lotus and Keke Rosberg’s Williams, with the former coming out on top by less than a 10th of a second.

After 1987’s race showed how F1 was no longer suited to the track, they departed Austria for a decade, returning for seven years in the late 90s and early 2000s following massive changes to the track.

Returning in 2014 after an 11 year absence, the Austrian Grand Prix is a favourite track of both fans and drivers.

Nürburgring

One of racing’s most historic tracks, the Nürburgring has hosted Grand Prix on two different layouts. The first was the deadly Nordschleife, which witnessed four driver deaths in F1, and serious injuries to the likes of Lauda. That version of the track was on F1’s calendar as the German Grand Prix from 1951 until 1976, with occasional departures.

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They moved to the Grand Prix track in 1984, racing there twice before returning in 1995. It remained on the calendar consistently until 2013, going under three different Grand Prix names of Europe, Luxembourg and Germany. 

Due to COVID-19, it was used as a track for F1 in 2020 under the Eifel Grand Prix name, due to being located in the Eifel mountains. That race saw Daniel Ricciardo’s first podium in two years, and, as a result, saw Cyril Abiteboul lose a bet… F1 hasn’t returned to the venue since.

Buenos Aires

Argentina has a massive history in Grand Prix racing, with three iconic F1 race winners in Fangio, José Froilán González and Carlos Reutemann.

Due to Fangio and González’s popularity, F1 first raced at the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez during the 1950s, with Fangio dominating, taking four victories in six years.

After the retirements of the duo, F1 didn’t race in Argentina from 1961 to 1971. 1972 saw the debut of promising talent Reutemann, who took pole, but finished only seventh to the disappointment of home fans. His stint in F1 lasted until 1982, with the track leaving a year prior after 1981’s race due to political tension. While Reutemann never won his home Grand Prix, he did score two second place finishes there.

A final return was in the 1990s, despite no Argentines being on the F1 grid. The final race there in 1998 did see a home driver in Buenos Aires-born Esteban Tuero, but Argentina, despite being on the MotoGP calendar consistently in the 21st century, hasn’t appeared in F1 since 1998.

Kyalami

One of only three African tracks to host Grand Prix events, South Africa’s Kyalami Circuit saw maiden wins for Pedro Rodríguez, Mario Andretti and Reutemann, and final victories for Clark and Jack Brabham during its first stint as a track.

The event being held in South Africa was controversial due to apartheid, and left the calendar in 1985 due to the political unrest in the country.

The track returned during F. W. de Klerk’s leadership of the country, hosting the first races of 1992 and 1993, but left at the end of the 1993 season. Rumours have circulated that F1 has considered returning to Kyalami, but nothing has been confirmed.

Interlagos

Interlagos is one of F1’s oldest tracks, being built back in 1940 during the Second World War. F1 did not race there until 1973, some 33 years later, primarily due to ‘Emersonmania’ in the 1970s thanks to São Paulo native Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the first two editions of the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. 

In 1975, José Carlos Pace, who the track would later be named after, took his only Grand Prix victory to make it three wins in a row for São Paulo-born drivers.

F1 left Interlagos due to safety measures, and returned when the track had modernised in 1990. Some of F1’s greatest moments have occurred there, such as Senna’s home wins in 1991 and 1993, 2003’s shock win for Giancarlo Fisichella, 2008’s insane last corner title decider, 2012’s wet race chaos, 2021’s masterclass from Hamilton, and 2024’s race, which saw a legendary drive by Verstappen from 17th on the grid.

Interlagos is loved by both fans and drivers, and will be on the F1 calendar until at least 2030.