Formula 1’s record 24-race season exposes cracks, as key figures warn the sport has hit its operational and physical limits.
For the first time in its history, Formula 1 has completed a record-breaking calendar of 24 races, including six Sprint events.
And the limit has clearly been reached. Three prominent figures in Formula 1 emphasize that the calendar must not extend beyond the current 24 Grands Prix, even though the Concorde Agreement allows for a 25th race—something FOM currently refuses (for now) to implement.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has indicated that a new rotating race system will be introduced to accommodate interest from new countries, such as Rwanda, without adding more races to the annual calendar.
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff agrees that the sport cannot grow further, even if the Concorde Agreement theoretically permits up to 25 Grands Prix.
“We have already exceeded the limit, in reality. The Concorde Agreement is one thing; reality is another.
“People like me travel comfortably, but the mechanics assembling and disassembling the car travel in economy class. You can see it on their faces now: it cannot go any further.”
GPDA President and former F1 driver Alex Wurz shares the same view: “Personally, I think it’s too much. I would prefer 16 races, simply because of sporting saturation.”
Another Austrian, Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, also agrees. When he raced in F1 in the early 1970s, there were only about a dozen races.
“I think 24 races is absolutely the limit. We, the leaders, are privileged, but we have to think about the mechanics. Look at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. That race took place late at night, after a fourteen- to sixteen-hour flight, and they simply had to keep going at the same pace afterward in Qatar.”
“I think F1 must also better coordinate the entire sequence to keep these 24 races on the calendar. But in my view, more than 24 Grands Prix is not possible due to the strain. Unless you start having teams with two separate race crews alternating.”
“The distribution of races simply needs to be balanced. You have traditional European races, but also new ones that are good, yet lack a certain motorsport culture.”
“Races like Spa or Monza, for example, have that culture, and that’s how we must maintain the balance. But increasing the number of races must not be allowed, if it were up to me.”
Wolff adds: “Yes, I spoke to Helmut the other day about Las Vegas. It was really brutal because you only see a few hours of daylight before going to bed, and you don’t know when to eat.”
“Everyone handles it differently, but it affects your rhythm so much that it’s hard to recover. Not to mention the flights!”
“The other day, I attended a sponsorship event in Hawaii. I spent a total of eighteen hours there. I arrived from Austin on a seven-hour flight and then returned to Austin.”
“It all sounds great, but when you’re sitting in your hotel knowing you have to attend an event and can’t just go to the beach, the situation suddenly becomes much less fun.”
“I already thought it was cruel, so as Helmut says, this pushes the limits even for us, and we always travel comfortably.”
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F1 Calendar Strains: 24 Races Test the Reality F1 Calendar Strains: 24 Races Test the Reality
