F1 Calendar: Seasons with 25 Grands Prix still on the table?

It is one of the favorite chestnut trees of the less and less small world of the Formula 1. The calendar. Booming since 2019 and the release of the Netflix series “Formula 1: Drive to survive”, the premier category is requested by many countries wishing to host a round as quickly as possible. The problem ? The calendar is already very busy, especially since the breakthrough in Middle Eastern countries and the increase in races in the United States more recently.

If the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix since 2020, that of the Russian Grand Prix in 2022 (for political reasons) and the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix (because of floods) in 2023 have somewhat attenuated the perception of this unwavering growth, the rounds are indeed multiplying in recent years, to the point that there will even be 24 planned in 2024, only one less than what the current Concorde agreements allow (25).

In absolute terms, this multiplication of events is obviously a boon for the FOM, but can also prove to be a headache for the teams, who must manage their personnel as best as possible. Even the traditional European rounds, which held F1 at arm's length when it was on the verge of becoming an anachronistic series in the 2010s, are struggling to retain their meat. There is even talk of a possible alternation between certain circuits in the coming seasons, in order to please everyone.

24 Grands Prix in 2024, 25 in 2025?

“It is up to the FOM to decide whether or not there should be alternation, explained Günther Steiner, the main team of Haas. We are not engaged in writing contracts. However, I think it would be a good idea. Ultimately, I think this could allow more countries to be included on the calendar and therefore expose our sport to more countries. The question of alternation is also directly linked to the total number of Grands Prix per season. The boss of McLaren Zak Brown also suggested a distribution proposal.

“I think that 24 races is the maximum for people’s well-being, he introduced. But we must continue to develop the sport. So I would like to see a scenario where there are maybe 20 fixed Grands Prix and, say, eight that rotate every two years. So you would have a calendar of 24 races, but you would develop the sport by going to other regions and other countries. That said, I don't fully understand the economics of running a tour promoter. So I don’t know if an alternating schedule is economically viable for the developer, but I think it would be the ideal scenario.” 

The Middle East has taken up considerable space on the F1 calendar since the turn of the century. © DPPI

In recent years, it has not been easy to understand where F1 really wanted to go on this issue of the number of rounds, and therefore to know how far this inflationary trend would go. At one point, we even wondered if the bar of 28, 29 or even 30 was not going to become the new standard for the end of the decade. There would also be no surprise to see the legal barrier of the 25 Grands Prix blown up in 2025, when the next Concorde agreements are being drafted, just in case. At the start of the year, Stefano Domenicali still reassured the paddock, explaining that he wanted to make the number 24 the correct lottery number for the coming seasons.

“We want to do 24 races next year and I think 24 is the right number, he specified. This is the number required by the market. I would say it's the right balance, because of the complexity of the logistics and the people working. I would say that’s the number we should aim for to be stable in the long term.” However, we know the FOM is pragmatic, and these declarations came in a context where the teams had expressed their concerns.

At a press conference in Austin, the team bosses did not completely close the door to the possibility of moving a 25th time from 2025. “Twenty-four is already a lot, admitted Toto wolff. But I think if we find another interesting site that contributes to improving the calendar, we will definitely find a way to accommodate it. As a team, we have already started taking turns. Many people no longer do all the shopping. But obviously there are the racing engineers who are dedicated to a car and the drivers who you can't really trade. So whether it’s 24 or 25, it wouldn’t make a big difference.” 

And Africa in all this?

Same story on Steiner’s side. “If we go further (in the number of Grands Prix), we will have to find another solution, explained the Italian. It's a question of how it will be organized. If you stay in certain areas for a while, there's less travel to do, fewer trips back and forth, less long-haul flights, and it makes more sense. So there’s a lot to discuss.” In 2024, the FOM and the FIA ​​attempted to further regionalize the rounds. With some success, but with progress still to be made.

The 4 men talked about the schedule in Austin. © Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

Mike Krack, team principalAston Martin, concluded the debate with an important word, that of the geographical disparity of the current calendar. “I think what is important is to keep in mind that this is a world championship, and we are still missing a continent, while we go much further in d 'others. So I think there’s still a little bit of work to do.”

“But overall I think F1 is doing a great job in this area, as we have seen in recent years. Now the number, if it's 22, 23, 24, I think we'll always find solutions to manage that. But overall, the world championship for me means racing on all continents.” For several years, the potential for the return of a Grand Prix contested in South Africa has resurfaced, even if this has still not resulted in an agreement. For the FOM, adding a round on African soil would undoubtedly be the best way to get the idea of ​​25 races per season across…

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