Formula 1’s record-breaking 24-race calendar for next season is at the limit with the risk of staff suffering from burnout, says team bosses.
It was announced earlier this month that 24 races were scheduled to take place in 2024, making next year’s calendar the biggest in F1’s history.
F1 had planned to run 24 races this year but the schedule was reduced to 22 rounds following the cancelations of the Chinese and Emilia Romagna Grand Prix’s.
Asked his thoughts on F1’s 24-race calendar for next year, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said, as quoted by Motorsport.com: “I think 24 is the limit. Stefano [Domenicali] is going to set it as such.
“There’s a demand for probably 30 grands prix. So I’d like to see a day where you have 24 grands prix, but in order to embrace more markets, maybe you have 20 fixed grands prix and eight rotational so you’re in 28 markets 24 times a year.
“I think that would be a great way to keep the calendar where it is but yet still have calendar growth.
“And the schedule has definitely been improved from a logistics point of view, and it’s not easy, because each territory has a reason why they want something on a certain date or there’s other events or holidays, things of that nature. So it’s top of mind for all of us and I have no doubt it’ll just continue to improve.”
Aston Martin boss Mike Krack said the calendar expansion means teams are now having to implement solutions to ensure staff are not burned out through the season.
“The 24 races has been debated a lot,” said Krack. “We have also the double headers, the triple headers.
“I think, all in all, it is probably not far from the limit of what we can do or what we can accept. But I think it is down to the teams to find ways of making this sustainable for their employees.
“I think all the teams do that, discuss that, try to find solutions. But again, it shows the strength of the sport, and it is something that we have all agreed to. And now we have to find ways of making it happen in a sustainable way for everybody.”
Williams team principal James Vowles agreed that rotating staff was a strategy that all teams would adopt to cope with the expanding schedule.
“It’s an optimisation problem,” he said. “Clearly, we can’t just keep throwing the same people at it. We have to rethink, almost to a certain extent, how we are running racing organisations.
“But there are racing series that are doing 32 or more weekends a year. It’s just an optimisation problem. How do we make a life that is sustainable for everyone whilst continuing to perform?”
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur felt that while the calendar was more proof of F1’s rise in popularity, rotation is a policy the team is planning to initiate.
“The life is much easier for me than for the mechanics,” Vasseur said. “First of all we have to keep this in mind, that if someone could complain, it’s more the mechanics than the team principals. For them we are trying to start rotation, and to have this kind of story.
“But I would also try to avoid being arrogant. Five years ago we were fighting to find 16 or 17 promoters keen to do the races. Today we have a huge success, and I would avoid to say, ‘No, I want to stay at home next weekend. I have a barbecue with my wife!’
“You can always say 24. It’s more than 23 and less than 25. And I don’t know what is the right number, but I have the feeling that it’s pretty well balanced.
“For sure, we need to have a kind of rotation for the guys, because again, I’m coming on track on Thursday, I’m leaving on Sunday evening, when the guys are coming on Monday, Tuesday and leaving on Monday, it’s not the same life. For me it’s okay. For them, we will put in place the rotation.”
