Stefano Domenicali, the President and CEO of Formula 1, believes that the Formula 1 calendar should consist of 24 grand prix races, rejecting claims that this number is excessive. The expansion of the F1 calendar has been a topic of discussion among teams and drivers, with concerns raised about the well-being of team members. However, Domenicali argues that with the growing popularity of F1 and the increasing competitiveness, 24 race weekends is not the limit. He compares F1 to other sports like football and basketball, which entertain their fans more frequently, suggesting that F1 has less content to offer in terms of quantity. Despite differing opinions, Domenicali remains optimistic about the current situation and believes that everyone involved in the sport should be satisfied.
“Excessive compared to what? When the sport is exceptional as it is currently, with numerous potential winners, fans eagerly await the next race. I mean, we have a more closely contested field than ever before.
“Today we are discussing intervals of 0.078 or 0.093 seconds. That’s less than a tenth for a lap of over four or five kilometers. Similar distances to those seen in a 100-meter race. 24 races is a satisfactory number.
“Each of our events has its own uniqueness. I mean, the Monaco Grand Prix may not have been the most exciting in history, but we achieved one of the highest TV audiences worldwide.
“Our goal is to maintain a favorable balance between established and emerging races. Despite there being numerous other countries vying for the chance to host a grand prix.”
Thailand and South Korea are just two countries that express interest in hosting a GP in the near future. However, with the increasing pressure from the drivers and Domenicali’s apparent commitment to avoiding calendar expansion, an alternative strategy is needed to give new territories the opportunity to captivate the world through F1.
“We are considering a rotation system,” Domenicali said. “We are likely to start this in Europe.”
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