The Formula 1 had a busy day on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, with significant announcements about the future of the calendar and news involving Max Verstappen, as well as relevant information about the financial backstage of the category. The F1MANIA.NET followed everything closely and gathers the main highlights of the day below.
The main news was the official confirmation of Portugal’s return to the Formula 1 calendar from 2027. The Portuguese Grand Prix will again be held at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, marking the country’s return to the World Championship after the editions held in 2020 and 2021. The announcement ends months of speculation and reinforces the European presence on the category’s calendar from the new regulatory cycle.
However, the return of the Portuguese Grand Prix is expected to cause significant changes in the calendar. According to an investigation published by F1MANIA.NET, the entry of Portimão tends to cost the permanence of the Dutch Grand Prix, in Zandvoort. The Dutch event, Max Verstappen’s home, appears as the main candidate to leave the calendar, amidst the limitation of places and strong competition between European events.
Off the Formula 1 tracks, Max Verstappen was also a highlight on Tuesday. The four-time world champion participated in a test with a Mercedes GT3 car at the Estoril circuit in Portugal, shortly after the end of the 2025 season. The activity reinforces the Dutchman’s interest in other categories of motorsport, something he has publicly manifested on several occasions.
Another relevant topic of the day was finance. Formula 1 distributed around $1.25 billion to teams in 2025, a value higher than that passed on in the previous season. The increase in prize money reflects the commercial growth of the category and the consolidation of new sources of revenue, directly benefiting the teams on the grid.
Finally, Verstappen returned to the news with a curiosity for 2026. The Red Bull driver is expected to adopt the number 3 on his car in the next season, giving up the traditional number 1 used by champions. The change is linked to a personal choice of the Dutchman and already generates expectation among fans and teams for the start of a new era in Formula 1.
These were the main topics of the day on F1MANIA.NET, which continues to closely follow all the movements of Formula 1 on and off the track.
