F1 return for BANNED grand prix opens up after 70 years

Villars in the Ligier European Series — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 return for BANNED grand prix opens up after 70 years

Could F1 return to Switzerland?

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 7 May 2026 17:56 Updated: 18:40

A ban that was previously placed on a country hosting racing events has been lifted, opening the door to a potential return to F1 and praise from former FIA presidential candidate Laura Villars.

The Swiss Grand Prix ran consecutively at Circuit Bremgarten in Bern between 1950-1954 in the earliest years of the F1 world championship.

It was also held in 1982 and won by Keke Rosberg, who would go on to win the drivers' championship that year, but that particular race actually took place at the Dijon-Prenois Circuit in France, despite maintaining the Swiss Grand Prix name.

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The reason for this change was because of a ban put in place by the Swiss authorities on any form of motor circuit racing following the 1955 Le Mans disaster.

That year at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race at the Circuit de la Sarthe, a horrific accident resulted in the deaths of around 83 people, after a multi-car on-track collision spewed into the crowd.

It caused multiple European countries to ban motor circuit racing, including France, Spain, West Germany and Switzerland, until racetracks could be brought to a higher safety standard.

Switzerland's ban, however, is the final ban to remain in place, but a vote in Swiss Parliament back in 2022 voted to amend the Road Traffic Act and repeal the ban on motor circuit events. Now, these changes are set to come into effect on July 1, 2026, with the Road Traffic Act being amended to allow motor circuit events to take place in the country.

The ban was temporarily lifted with an exception for the 2018 and 2019 Formula E races in the country, but now it will be fully lifted.

The Federal Council's decision has met with widespread support from the racing world, including from Laura Villars. Last year, the Swiss-French driver unsuccessfully made a bid for the FIA presidency, with incumbent President Mohammed Ben Sulayem ultimately being re-elected unopposed in Tashkent in December 2025.

Villars is pleased with the lifting of the ban. "Thank you, Switzerland," she responded to the news. "After seventy years, the ban on circuit racing has been lifted," the driver stated.

She emphasised that the entry into force of the law, which makes the cantons responsible for licenses, is a crucial moment. "A big step forward for Swiss motorsport, the drivers, the talent, and an entire industry that had been waiting for this signal. The work begins," said Villars.

While F1 have made it clear that they're not looking to add more countries to the 2027 schedule, the repeal of the ban in Switzerland could potentially open the door for a return of the Swiss Grand Prix in years to come.

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Switzerland's legacy in F1

Switzerland have had several full-time racers in F1, although not too many that have been successful.

Understandably so, the majority of Swiss representation in the sport came when the Swiss Grand Prix was at the height of its continued participation on the F1 calendar, with Rudi Fischer one of eight Swiss drivers to have entered a grand prix between 1950-1954. Fischer secured two podiums across seven race starts.

Clay Regazzoni is the most successful Swiss F1 driver of all time, picking up five race victories and 28 podiums across his spell in the sport between 1970-1980.

The only other Swiss driver to have won an F1 race is Jo Siffert, who won the 1968 British Grand Prix and the 1971 Austrian Grand Prix.

The most recent F1 star to have heralded from Switzerland is of course Sebastien Buemi, who raced for the Toro Rosso team between 2009-2011, picking up a best grand prix finish of seventh.

Buemi later switched to all-electric series Formula E, and is still racing in that series, also being able to race in his home country in 2018 and 2019 amid an exception made to the motor circuit event ban.