Shanghai inaugurated the Sprint race series, the six Saturday races that will accompany the 2024 world championship. On the eve of the Chinese GP, with unusually early timing, FIA and F1 have also released the 2025 calendar, again with 24 appointments and largely confirmed in their location.
Pilots have long been talking about a sustainability limit already largely reached and difficult to sustain. Not only and not so much for those who find themselves having to “only” drive around in a single-seater but for all of the team members who arrive on the race fields long before the drivers and leave well after the conclusion of the GP.
24 GPs are the right number of races
Stefano Domenicali has confirmed on several occasions that the current and future balance will be on a 24 GP calendar plus Sprint races.
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“I think 24 is an optimal number with the events we have so far”he commented in China.
“The good news this year is that I have taken on a kind of responsibility, towards the teams and the promoters, to announcing the calendar much earlier than we normally didso that everyone is ready.
Naturally, another step has been taken towards regionalizing the calendar. We can’t do it completely, but I think we took a right step, so I’m very happy.”.
Driving in F1 is not an obligation
To the riders who raised the issue of an excessive number of races in a season, Domenicali replied: “I talk to them and if you want to drive you can do it every day. If you don’t want to drive in Formula 1, you don’t have to.
It’s a question of respect for the fans. They want to see them run and it is a responsibility that, once again, we have towards all our fans, our partners, promoters, sponsors, broadcasters, towards everyone.
It’s the magic of sport we live in, because we need heroes who enjoy what they do. And I’m sure they’re having fun.”
