“My Wife Would Kill Me if…”: Amid Ongoing Calendar Debate, F1 Team Principal Reveals the True Trials of the Circus

The rise of F1 has caught everyone’s attention across the globe. But, the flip side of this success has been long and hectic calendars.

The 2022 season was expected to have 23 races. However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict forced the FIA to drop the Russian GP. The governing body has decided to have a 24-race calendar for the 2023 season, with the Chinese GP making a comeback and Las Vegas GP making its first appearance.

Frederic Vasseur has given his honest opinion on the ongoing calendar debate. The job of a Team Principal is very complex and demanding. Alfa Romeo’s Team Principal explained what it takes to be an F1 Principal in this modern era of F1.

Frederic Vasseur opines on F1’s grueling schedule

With the steady rise of F1, the Team Principals have had to up their game as well. The action has been coming thick and fast. There was a period when the popularity of the sport was on the decline. But, the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’ and a thrilling 2021 season have put F1 back on the map.

The massive success of Drive to Survive motivated the FIA to increase the number of races to tap into an untapped market like the USA. This added to the challenges faced by the Team Principals.

Talking about the calendar, Vasseur stated, “I would have to be honest that during the season, and my wife would kill me if I say something different, I’m not able to switch off. Even when we don’t have races during one weekend or have weekend off, I’m still focused on this.”

Read More: American F1 Civil War Begins as Las Vegas GP Makes Bold Claim While Dethroning Historic COTA

F1 teams left frustrated by FIA’s announcement

FIA made a surprise announcement regarding the triple header, without the consent of the F1 teams. The deteriorating relationship between the teams and the FIA took another blow.

A report from the guardian stated, “The lack of notice was not the only problem felt within the sport. The inclusion of a fly-away triple header of USA, Mexico, and Brazil requires the approval of the teams. It is expected they would accept the proposal, as they have in the past, but there was exasperation that the FIA failed to consult them.”

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While FIA continues to defend its decision, it’s something that has not gone down well with the teams. It’ll be interesting to hear the big guns of the paddocks speak about this issue.