Money or legitimacy, the dilemmas of Formula 1 with the 2023 calendar

Like the pieces of a puzzle, the 2023 calendar of the Formula 1 continues to come together little by little. If certain Grands Prix have always been part of the final draw, next year the privileges could suddenly end. The discipline has become bankable again and new circuits are trying to position themselves on the chessboard. This has the consequence of question the place of the Monaco Grand Prix, a historic event in motorsport.

On the sidelines of the return of Formula 1 to Quebec, Zak Brown summed up the situation perfectly. “ I think we have a “luxury” problem of having more countries wanting a Grand Prix than we can add to the calendar. It's a good problem to have. In the end, I think we all have a lot of confidence in Stefano Domenicali to succeed in putting together the most optimized calendar for the fans, the teams, for sustainability as well as logistics, economics and everything that comes into play during of the development of the calendar. »

What parameter should be prioritized for the Formula 1 calendar? 

All the cards are then in the hands of the president of Formula 1, Stefano Dominicali. But the Italian's task is not simple. On the one hand, it has historic routes like Spa-Francorchamps. On the other, newcomers like Miami with fewer credits but more money. What choice should we make then? Should money take precedence over the legitimacy of certain routes? Franz Tost, the main team ofAlpha Tauri has already made his decision. “ No money, no shopping, it's very simple. If they (Grand Prix promoters) have money, we go there. If they don't have the money, then we won't go there », Analyzed the Austrian leader without citing an example.

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While waiting to discover the 2023 calendar, the official arrival of Miami this year and Las Vegas in 2023 are already the first clues of the direction taken by Formula 1. So certain events will perhaps turn to rotation to continue to exist. “ If a race is not on the calendar every year, I don't think it's a tragedy. We have to look for novelty without going to 35 races or something like that. As I said, if there is one who is not there for a year, a situation that we have already experienced in the past, Germany did a rotation a few years ago, and that is correct, in my opinion », defended Mike Krack, the main team ofAston Martin.

South Africa set to return in 2023

If increasing the number of Grand Prix on the calendar could also satisfy even more people, reorganizations in the calendar must take place. In a society where the carbon footprint of this sport is increasingly scrutinized, going from Monaco to Azerbaijan to then heading to Canada and finally returning to England in the space of a little more than a month , it is no longer viable. “ However, when you consider the way the races are distributed, triple race weekends are very difficult. And so, from that perspective, I think we can do a better job. And I know they're considering, you know, not flying across the continent and running errands in the same time zones repeatedly to make it easier for everyonee,” explained Otmar Szafnauer.

While waiting to know if Monaco or Paul-Ricard will still be present in the F1 table in 2023, South Africa should make a comeback. “ I think for the championship and the FIA, F1 is a world championship and so it makes sense to have a race in Africa and Kyalami should be a great event.t,” argued Frédéric Vasseur. If the Formula 1 calendar in 2023 has not yet been made official, Stefano Dominicali's puzzle could leave many disappointed.

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