F1 is shifting away from Europe. Can Britain keep what’s left?

By the Editorial Team · Friday, October 9, 2026

Formula 1's race calendar is shifting away from Europe toward more events in Asia, even as Europe's traditional motorsport hubs, particularly the UK's Motorsport Valley, remain crucial for team operations and engineering. However, rising costs and talent retention issues threaten Motorsport Valley's dominance, prompting calls for government intervention to preserve its role amid the sport's growing global footprint.

Over the past decade, Formula 1 has experienced a geographic shift that is reshaping the sport’s traditional European foundation. Under the ownership of Liberty Media, F1 has expanded globally, prioritizing revenue growth by adding venues in lucrative markets outside Europe, leading to a reduction in the continent’s prominence on the race calendar.

Europe recently welcomed the return of the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid after a 45-year hiatus and will add Portugal’s Portimão circuit next season. However, the continent has lost iconic venues such as Italy’s Imola and is set to lose Zandvoort in the Netherlands by 2027. Additionally, Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps will alternate annually with Barcelona, signaling a reduction in the number of European races. Meanwhile, Asia is on track to surpass Europe with nine races next season, partly driven by the reintroduction of the Turkish Grand Prix in 2027—which takes place on the Asian side of Istanbul—marking a significant shift in the sport’s geographic focus.

Despite the changing race calendar, Europe, and particularly the United Kingdom, remains the central hub for the design and manufacturing side of Formula 1. The UK hosts Motorsport Valley, a renowned cluster of motorsport engineering and team headquarters concentrated in an area between Oxford and Northampton. This cluster includes six of the 11 F1 teams — Mercedes (Brackley), Red Bull (Milton Keynes), Aston Martin (Silverstone), Williams (Grove), Alpine (Enstone), and McLaren (Woking). Even teams based outside the UK maintain significant operations within the cluster, with Haas operating key functions from Banbury and Racing Bulls maintaining a technical center in Milton Keynes. Recent entrants Cadillac and Audi have also established UK bases at Silverstone and Bicester.

This cluster has evolved organically since the post-World War II period, rooted in grassroots engineering and racing efforts, and has maintained its resilience across decades through a combination of talent development and knowledge sharing within the concentrated network. Motorsport Valley supports an estimated 50,000 jobs and contributes approximately £16 billion annually to the UK economy according to the Motorsport Industry Association.

Italy serves as a parallel example where, despite losing its Imola race, its established production centers remain vital. Ferrari in Maranello, Racing Bulls in Faenza, and Dallara in Varano de’ Melegari continue to play key roles, with Dallara producing chassis for multiple international racing categories including Haas’s F1 frames.

Nonetheless, challenges are emerging for the British cluster. From 2029, General Motors will move Cadillac engine production to North Carolina, Audi runs its F1 program from continental Europe, and contracts such as chassis production are increasingly outsourced to firms like Dallara. Additionally, rising living costs, energy prices, manufacturing expenses, and visa restrictions for foreign engineers pose difficulties for retaining and attracting talent within the UK.

Industry experts caution that the decline of such clusters tends to be gradual, with competitiveness eroding contract by contract. Some suggest that the UK government treat Motorsport Valley as strategic economic infrastructure, akin to aerospace, by providing enhanced state support, including fast-track visas for specialist engineers, increased funding for research and development, and sustained investment at grassroots levels like karting.

Although passion and local expertise have historically driven Motorsport Valley’s success, policymakers face pressure to implement measures that will safeguard the cluster’s future as Formula 1’s racing venues continue to globalize beyond Europe.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.