F1 2025

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Money talks unfortunately.

It is money, but there is also the fact that street circuits are more cost effective.

Nobody really builds new racetracks anymore, especially to F1 standards. Look at how much it is going to cost Kyalami just to move from the 2nd highest FIA grade to what F1 requires. The costs are too high for something that only gets utilised to its full potential one weekend a year. No other racing category in the world needs the facilities F1 does, not even MotoGP.

Temporary street tracks are also easier to set up while a purpose-built track can take a few years. Street circuits utilise existing infrastructure in many places and in terms of finances, street circuits tend to have full government (local or national) backing and funding while purpose-built tracks are private entities that need to ask for government support, and if they don't have it, they lose their slots. This is what happened to famous German circuits, both the Nurburgring and Hockenheim went bankrupt, and their host cities/states didn't see value in propping them up anymore. In an ironic twist, Hockenheim went bankrupt because of the extensive changes they made to the circuit in order to satisfy F1.

Then there is the upkeep. Those fancy facilities need to be maintained year-round even when nobody is using it. With a street circuit, you just pack it up.
 
It is money, but there is also the fact that street circuits are more cost effective.

Nobody really builds new racetracks anymore, especially to F1 standards. Look at how much it is going to cost Kyalami just to move from the 2nd highest FIA grade to what F1 requires. The costs are too high for something that only gets utilised to its full potential one weekend a year. No other racing category in the world needs the facilities F1 does, not even MotoGP.

Temporary street tracks are also easier to set up while a purpose-built track can take a few years. Street circuits utilise existing infrastructure in many places and in terms of finances, street circuits tend to have full government (local or national) backing and funding while purpose-built tracks are private entities that need to ask for government support, and if they don't have it, they lose their slots. This is what happened to famous German circuits, both the Nurburgring and Hockenheim went bankrupt, and their host cities/states didn't see value in propping them up anymore. In an ironic twist, Hockenheim went bankrupt because of the extensive changes they made to the circuit in order to satisfy F1.

Then there is the upkeep. Those fancy facilities need to be maintained year-round even when nobody is using it. With a street circuit, you just pack it up.
If it does go to Kyalami, it would hopefully spark interest in motorsport again in SA. It's no coincidence that the peak of motorsport in SA coincided with F1 being here. This would hopefully help fund upkeep of the track...
 
It is money, but there is also the fact that street circuits are more cost effective.

Nobody really builds new racetracks anymore, especially to F1 standards. Look at how much it is going to cost Kyalami just to move from the 2nd highest FIA grade to what F1 requires. The costs are too high for something that only gets utilised to its full potential one weekend a year. No other racing category in the world needs the facilities F1 does, not even MotoGP.

Temporary street tracks are also easier to set up while a purpose-built track can take a few years. Street circuits utilise existing infrastructure in many places and in terms of finances, street circuits tend to have full government (local or national) backing and funding while purpose-built tracks are private entities that need to ask for government support, and if they don't have it, they lose their slots. This is what happened to famous German circuits, both the Nurburgring and Hockenheim went bankrupt, and their host cities/states didn't see value in propping them up anymore. In an ironic twist, Hockenheim went bankrupt because of the extensive changes they made to the circuit in order to satisfy F1.

Then there is the upkeep. Those fancy facilities need to be maintained year-round even when nobody is using it. With a street circuit, you just pack it up.
Well Toby should just throw in Allendale Road with a hairpin at the mall of africa and call it a street track but that wasn't the point I was making - $1.2bn is a ton of cash to motivate for a race even if its a street circuit or not.
 

24HR Nurburgring starting shortly with our own Jordan Pepper starting in 5th place.
 
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