The circuit made a surprise return to the F1 calendar in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been a staple since.

Imola hosted the Italian Grand Prix in 1980 and then the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 to 2006 before returning in 2020 as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The race has been run every year since, bar 2023 due to devastating floods in the region.

This year’s race is the last for Imola on its current contract, and if comments made by Domenicali to Italian radio are anything to go by, its deal will not be renewed.

“Italy has always been and will be an important part of Formula 1,” Imola-born Domenicali told RAI.

“It will be increasingly difficult to have two races in the same country because interest in F1 is growing and it’s a situation we will have to deal with in the coming months.

“It’s hard for this situation with Imola and Monza to continue together on the calendar for long.”

While Imola’s future is in doubt, F1 recently announced a contract extension with Monza that will see it host the Italian Grand Prix through to 2031.

Italy is the only European country to host more than one grand prix annually. Spain will host two events in 2026, with Madrid’s debut alongside Barcelona. However, the latter will be scratched from 2027.

The make-up of the F1 calendar looks set for a shake-up in years to come. Zandvoort will host the Dutch Grand Prix for the last time in 2026 while the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps is set to be held on a one-year-on, one-year-off basis.

Several countries have expressed interest in hosting F1 events, including Thailand. F1 bosses have also shown interest in Rwanda and South Africa.