F1 Croatian Grand Prix race plans approved

Thumbnail for article regarding new track in Croatia — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 Croatian Grand Prix race plans approved

Could we soon see a Croatian Grand Prix?

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 22 June 2026 16:57

An F1 project in a European country has been given the go ahead, as hopes of a future position on the calendar gain momentum.

The 'Croatia Ring' has secured the necessary permission from the Ministry of the Environment in that country, with government authorities officially classifying it as a strategic national investment project.

It means that hopes of a Croatian Grand Prix have been boosted, particularly with 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve providing advice to the circuit architects.

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Villeneuve's role is to bring the sporting expertise needed to ensure the track is a technical challenge for the drivers and a spectacle for the fans.

The circuit would be in the Slunj region of the country, just over an hour from Zagreb International Airport as the country yearn for the economic benefits of having an F1 race in the region.

However, GPFans understands that the Croatian Grand Prix is unlikely to get approval to host an F1 race in the near future, facing up to huge competition in a bid to host a world championship race.

Nevertheless, organisers want construction of the circuit to be fully completed by the end of 2027.

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The so-called 'Croatia Ring' will no doubt be an exciting project, but the problem for the country is that there are many new countries around the world who have poured investment into a project in the hope that their track will end up on the F1 calendar.

Thailand, South Korea and Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia are all modern, attractive projects, as is the embryonic proposal to bring F1 back to Argentina following the success of Franco Colapinto in the sport.

But the calendar is already jam-packed, with 24 grand prix weekends per season deemed to be too many by some drivers.

From 2027, two legendary tracks in the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Spa-Francorchamps are set to start rotating, creating biannual events at those tracks, while the Emilia Romagna GP has dropped off the calendar entirely.