Motorsport: "Europe's role is shrinking because the whole world aspires to take part" (X. Malenfer, FIA)

"France's role, and more generally that of Europe, is shrinking because the whole world now aspires to take part in the game. And since we can't extend the number of races indefinitely, organisers and promoters have to make trade-offs, which automatically reduces the number of Grands Prix in Europe," said Xavier Malenfer, director of institutional and international relations at the FIA, to News Tank on 28/07/2025.

"The cost of hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix is increasing. The promoter is first and foremost a commercial enterprise with profitability objectives. It benefits from the popularity of this championship, with countries willing to pay a high price to host an event, and it takes advantage of this. Conversely, the justification for paying the current market rate for a Formula 1 Grand Prix arises for a country like France, because we do not have the same visibility needs as emerging countries that have no other means of promoting themselves," added Malenfer.

"We have just approved the accounts for 2024, which show an operating profit of €4.7m on a budget of around €200m, which…