How Formula One Became the Sport to Travel For

Budapest is just one of 24 races across 21 countries that F1 fans can choose to plan trips around. “Formula 1 isn’t just a sport; it’s a global passport,” says Valen. “You can soak in the glamour of Monaco from a yacht-lined harbor, or stroll through the tree-lined pathways of Notre Dame Island in Montreal before lights out…F1 turns travel into something cinematic.”

Mawdsley says more and more of Grand Prix Grand Tours’ clients are looking to destination races, such as Qatar or Singapore, and wrapping the event into a longer luxury trip. The Middle East, in particular, is very popular for its safety, family-friendliness, and quality of services, he says. “You can spend four nights at Qatar Grand Prix, staying in a stunning five-star hotel, with guaranteed great weather, for the same price as three nights at the Belgian Grand Prix. It’s not difficult to see the attraction.”

As the sport’s 2025 season kicks off in Melbourne, starting on March 13, more fans than ever will want a ringside seat to this year’s action, including several new driver pairings such as Hamilton’s much-anticipated debut with Scuderia Ferrari—and a potential shake-up to the leaderboard. That energy will only mount in 2026, as F1 adds a new American team, Cadillac, to the grid, and rolls out major technical changes including sustainability regulations. There are even hints at new race locations, including the rumored move of the Spanish Grand Prix from Barcelona to Madrid. “The interesting thing, as we saw with Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, is that nobody is waiting for their favorite sport or musician to come to them,” says Roe. “Now they’re saying: ‘Where can I go to find it?’ And they’re anchoring their travels around these events.”

The 2025 season calendar + what’s new this year

The 2025 Formula 1 calendar features 24 races across 21 countries and 5 continents. Preseason testing began in late February at the Bahrain International Circuit, which traditionally also hosts the season opener. However, due to Ramadan, the 2025 calendar was adjusted, and the Australian Grand Prix (March 14–16) at Albert Park in Melbourne will now kick off the season for the first time since its cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After Australia, the championship will head to China (March 21–23), followed by the Japanese GP (April 4–6) and two of four Middle Eastern races, Bahrain (April 11–13) and Saudi Arabia (April 18–20), later on. To improve geographical flow, the European leg will take place over the summer, starting with Imola in May, while the Americas will be featured in autumn before the final races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi in winter.

This season will also include six sprint races, held in Shanghai, Miami, Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Austin, São Paulo, and Lusail (Qatar), with Belgium returning to the sprint schedule for the first time since 2023.