Bahrain, Bahrain – February 21: Max Verstappen, a 26-year-old driver from the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, prepares to drive in the garage during the first day of F1 testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on February 21, 2024 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202402210879 // For editorial use only //
The 26-year-old Red Bull driver will start on Saturday as the clear favorite in his pursuit of a fourth consecutive F1 championship. However, despite his string of successes, he is tired of the expanding calendar.
“I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s important to reiterate that this is not sustainable,” Verstappen expressed to reporters at the Bahrain International Circuit. “I have a deep passion for racing and participate in it frequently outside of Formula 1 as well.
“However, if people within the sport start cutting their careers short due to excessive demands, I believe it would be a shame. I hope we can resolve this issue for the future,” he added.
F1 has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, partly due to the success of the Netflix program ‘Drive to Survive’. Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of the sport, has capitalized on this by introducing new locations in the Middle East, reintroducing classic races in Europe, and adding three races in the United States, including Miami and Las Vegas, alongside the traditional event in Austin.
Teams have begun rotating their personnel to cope with the demands of the extensive calendar, and this year’s pre-season testing has been reduced to just three days.
Fernando Alonso, a 42-year-old Spanish two-time F1 world champion who debuted in 2001, echoed Verstappen’s sentiments and recalled the days when the calendar consisted of less than 20 races.
“When I started, we had 16 races. It later increased to 18 at one point. When Liberty took over, we reached a limit of 20 races in a season,” stated the Aston Martin driver.
“Now, we have reached 24 races, which is not sustainable for the future. Even the reigning world champion believes the season is a bit too long.
“Imagine how we feel, the rest of us. In the second half of the season, we are essentially racing for nothing. There is no motivation to compete,” Alonso concluded. (Reported by Abhishek Takle)
