There's no place on the Formula 1 calendar for a grand prix in France or Germany, but there will be in the next few years for one in Rwanda. That sums up the state of play, for not just F1 but the majority of international sport today. Traditional heartlands are no longer sacrosanct, especially when untapped regions of the world offer rich returns.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Uninspiring Paul Ricard hasn't been mourned by many F1 teams, drivers or fans (who aren't French) since it dropped off the schedule after 2022, although it's faintly astonishing that Germany hasn't hosted a race since the one-off Eifel GP at the Nürburgring in Covid-affected 2020, especially with Audi having joined Mercedes on the grid. But if F1's eye-watering hosting fees can't be met by either private or public investment, no country should be entitled to a place at the table, especially if demand can be met elsewhere—and there sure is demand for F1 today, given its progress as a global force under Liberty Media since 2017.