By its very nature, Formula One is a sport which is always striving to find the next big thing. Be it a new superstar driver, genius engineer or an inspired technical development that will help a team unlock a vital few tenths of a second of lap time.
This constant pursuit of innovation does leave some long running fans finding themselves nostalgically pining for a different kind of racing. While we must accept that all good drivers have a shelf life, it is sometimes harder to accept having popular F1 circuits removed from the calendar. This often happens due to competing countries offering the sport larger financial incentives or the venues themselves failing to keep up with the pace of development of circuits elsewhere in the world.
A prime example of this is the new Madrid F1 street track which is set to replace the aging Imola circuit in Italy on the 2026 F1 race calendar. While the new Madrid venue sounds absolutely spectacular, there are still a number of former F1 tracks that we think should be brought back as they still have something unique to offer the World Championship. Here are some of our favourite forgotten F1 tracks.
1. Hockenheim - Germany
With many of the world's biggest car brands originating from Germany, it is surprising that the sport has not hosted a race in the country since 2020. During the glory days of Michael Schumacher, F1 commanded a huge fan base in Germany and was so popular that it warranted having two F1 races every single year; one at the Hockenheim circuit near Mannheim and the other at the Nurburgrung circuit in the beautiful Eifel mountains.
With a length of 12.9 miles, the original Nurburgring is far too long to host a modern day F1 race. Safety levels also haven't progressed much since a horrible accident for Niki Lauda in 1976 which left the Austrian with severe burns. The replacement circuit built in the same area was fine but generally failed to capture the imagination of motorsport fans.
Hockenheim meanwhile was traditionally one of the fastest circuits on the calendar, made up mostly of long straights which headed deep into woodlands, but with a few chicanes chucked in along the way. This was replaced by a new shorter layout in 2002 which, despite being slower, actually created a fantastic racing spectacle with plenty of overtaking opportunities thanks to its well thought out layout which can be credited to the design skills of F1 circuit architect Hermann Tilke.
With Audi set to join Mercedes in F1 for 2026, it would be surprising if the two car brands don't start campaigning to have one of their former F1 tracks re-added to the schedule. If we had to choose one, we'd definitely go with Hockenheim as it would unquestionably create quite a racing spectacle with modern day cars.
2. Sepang International - Malaysia
First added to the F1 calendar in 1999, the Sepang International circuit set new standards for F1 circuits across the globe. With its incredible pitlane and paddock complexes, plus its top rate safety levels and spectator facilities, it felt like all other F1 venues suddenly had a daunting new target to aim for.
This would be the first of many circuits designed by the aforementioned Hermann Tilke, whose tracks were uncharitably termed 'Tilkedromes'. This was due to their perceived bland configurations which critics claimed were all largely similar being devoid of elevation, driver challenge or risk with massive tarmaced run off areas used as an alternative to gravel traps or barriers which punish mistakes far harder.
However, the Sepang International circuit was a bit of an exception. While it did have massive run off areas, it also presented drivers with an interesting technical challenge thanks to its fast, flowing configuration which was achieved without hampering overtaking opportunities.
Sepang dropped off the F1 calendar in 2017 as government support for the race waned. However, the state owned Petronas oil company has remained one of the sports biggest sponsors in the intervening years in its role as the title sponsor of the Mercedes F1 team. It is therefore not beyond the bounds of possibility that the circuit will make a return to the F1 calendar sometime in the future.
3. Kyalami - South Africa
F1 has faced quite a lot of criticism lately for failing to host a Grand Prix in Africa, with critics claiming that the sport can not claim to be a true World Championship series unless it has a race in every continent, with Africa being the only one that is currently missing.
The last time a race was held in the continent was in 1993 at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa. Kyalami is in the running to return to the calendar in the coming years after the South African government opened a bidding process for prospective hosts to put forward their ideas to secure a place on the F1 calendar. The circuit owners have already committed to a significant redevelopment of the circuit to bring it up to the Grade 1 standard that would be required for it to host a round of the F1 world championship.
While its place on the calendar is far from guaranteed, there are many inside the sport that would put Kyalami near the top of the list of F1 tracks that should return. This is owed in some part to the last race at the circuit in 1993 which witnessed a titanic battle for the lead between legendary drivers Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher.
4. Indianapolis - USA
The rapid growth of Formula One in the United States has seen a dramatic push to expand the number of races taking place in the country. Over the past three years we have seen magnificent new street tracks in Miami and Las Vegas added to the calendar alongside the existing Texas venue which has been a mainstay since 2012. Prior to this the sport had gone five years without a single race in the USA, ever since its contract with the Indianapolis circuit expired in 2007.
Better known to motorsport fans as the venue for the Indy 500 race, Indianapolis is the Monaco of the Indycar series owing to its illustrious history, with the first ever Indy 500 having been held way back in 1911. The first event was won by Ray Harroun for the now defunct Marmon Motor Car Company, with largely the same oval configuration still being used to this day. The Indy 500 re-entered the consciousness of European motorsport fans in 2017 when Fernando Alonso elected to miss that year's Monaco F1 race so that he could compete in the event.
When F1 last raced at Indianapolis a shorter infield road course configuration was used which only incorporated parts of the iconic oval. This layout was generally unpopular with the drivers due to its lack of challenge and fairly benign corners. However, it did have a tendency to generate good racing.
The oval circuit was actually one of the original F1 tracks which formed part of the calendar during the 1950s, with the results of the Indy 500 counting towards the Formula 1 World Championship throughout this period. It is the original oval which is the former F1 track that should return to the calendar in the minds of many fans owing to the radically different challenge it would pose to drivers and teams. Oval racing is far harder than is generally appreciated in Europe, requiring a whole different set of skills and potentially really mixing up
5. Valencia - Spain
Spain will host two Formula 1 races in 2026 for the first time since 2012 when a street race around Valencia's marina joined the Barcelona event on the F1 calendar. Despite the first few races in Valencia turning out to be fairly mundane affairs, the final event at the venue in 2012 was one of the greatest races in the sports history with Fernando Alonso securing victory at his home event for Ferrari having started way down in 11th on the grid.
Contrary to popular opinion, there were plenty of overtaking opportunities at the Valencia street track which was held in a unique setting, with Valencia marina being one of the most vibrant parts of the city. With a beautiful beach, exceptional restaurants and inspiring architecture, Valencia is the perfect destination for an F1 holiday. If there's room for 3 US races, then surely there is room for a third race in Spain, right?
You can make sure you're there to witness the christening of the newest Spanish circuit if you book Madrid F1 race tickets with Elegant Sports. We'll secure you the best seats in the house, with Paddock Club passes that will give you access to behind the scenes areas and allow you to interact with some of the sports biggest hitters. Make sure you don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity to see a brand new street track unveiled.