Silverstone has offered to host two Formula 1 grands prix in 2026 to help alleviate a “crisis” in the race calendar, but The Independent understands the proposal is a total non-starter. The circuit’s CEO, Stuart Pringle, made the offer amid a complex geopolitical landscape that has forced major reshuffles to this year’s schedule, including the cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April due to the war in the Middle East.
Pringle told Sky News: “I have offered, because we stepped in during Covid and we were able to help Formula 1, and if that would help then of course we will. There are numerous practicalities that need to be considered. The offer is in and they know we’re here. We can move quickly if asked.” However, F1 views the 2021 Covid season as a freak occurrence and is not exploring multiple races at the same venue in a single year.
F1 returns this weekend with the Miami Grand Prix after a five-week break, with no action since Kimi Antonelli won in Japan on 29 March. There will also be a three-week gap between Miami and the next race in Canada. Meanwhile, tweaks to F1’s controversial new regulations have been agreed, including reducing energy harvesting from eight megajoules to seven and increasing hybrid power from 250kw to 350kw, aimed at allowing drivers to go flat-out for longer in qualifying.
Max Verstappen has been especially vocal, labelling the sport “Mario Kart” and hinting the regulations will hasten his exit. The Dutchman, among others, dislikes the 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power, which forces drivers to manage battery usage, slowing down on qualifying laps, and adds “gimmicks” such as a boost button for overtaking. Safety concerns have also been raised due to dangerous closing speeds, as evidenced by Ollie Bearman’s high-speed crash in Japan.
