AlphaTauri Boss Argues Record 23-Race F1 Calendar Threatens Sport’s Interest

Alpha Tauri team principal Franz Tost has veiled a strong warning against long F1 schedules. F1 is all set to feature its biggest-ever race calendar in 2022. The paddock will have 23 races through the course of eight months starting with Bahrain on March 20. This extensive calendar will host two triple headers; the first one is all-European and the second will cover Russia, Singapore, and Japan. Inaugural Miami on May 8th comes as the sole new addition to this F1 calendar.

This has been a point of contention in the F1 community. Former F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen famously warned the FIA of the consequences this hectic schedule may have. F1 is growing every day in terms of popularity and there is a significant increase in the cash flow in recent years. One premium example is Red Bull’s deal with Oracle which reportedly included a $500 million transaction for a 5-year deal.

Now, with new venues adding up every year and older ones making a return, this calendar doesn’t seem to shrink in coming years as well. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali even remarked once that F1 can hold as many as 30 races per year. He believes it’s a good problem to have; however, Tost doesn’t agree with this opinion.

Tost recently laid down his thoughts on the 23-race calendar. He believes this should remain the glass ceiling in the sport, and any further addition might kill the interest of the fans.

23 races an “absolute limit” in an F1 season: Franz Tost

There have been a lot of discussions over workload management in Formula 1. However, Tost has another concern with these arduous calendars. In a recent interview, the Austrian boss said that any more than 23 races in a season will make a dent in the interest that fans share with F1.

“So, for me, 23 races is the absolute limit. Not from the workload point of view, but because I am concerned that with such a high number of races, in the end, it could cause people to lose interest in Formula 1,” said Tost.

“For me, the best number would be between 18 and 20 races because Formula 1 should be a premium product and we really should think about maybe reducing the number of races to keep it special. Personally, I am fine with 23 races or more, but this is not the question. The question is what’s best for the future of Formula 1,” added the Austrian boss.

The teams are gearing up for the pre-season testing scheduled later this month ahead of the inaugural Bahrain GP in March. Tell us what you think of his opinions on the 2022 F1 calendar in the comment section below.

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