Domenicali plays down idea of 25-race F1 calendar

Henry Valantine
Stefano Domenicali

Stefano Domenicali feels overall standard of F1 grid now much higher.

Stefano Domenicali has played down the idea of having more than 23 races in a Formula 1 season, despite the newest Concorde Agreement between the teams allowing up to 25 races to take place in a single year.

The CEO of Formula 1 was discussing the subject of whether or not having too many races would lead to saturation among the sport’s fans, and he said that even scaling the calendar back in future years once again may be on the cards in the future.

Speaking to Auto Motor Sport, he said: “You can look at it from two perspectives. If the World Championship is exciting, it can be 24 races. If it is decided early, it will be tough. I think more than 23 races is very unlikely, even if it is practically possible.

“There is a tremendous interest in holding a Grand Prix at the moment. In the future, we will have to think carefully about which countries are important for our strategy, what the suitable tracks are in the individual countries and how much entry money we can demand from the organisers.

“This money is not a cost factor, but an investment for the country, the region, the industry around it. If we get everything right, one day fewer races will be possible again.”

Romain Grosjean (Haas) in action at Mugello
Romain Grosjean (Haas) in action at Mugello

Check all the latest 2021 teamwear via the official Formula 1 store

After the 2020 season was adjusted and shortened due to Covid-19, tracks that were late additions to the calendar such as Mugello and Portimao proved to be extremely popular.

With some events still under long contracts to host races, including a debut for a Vietnamese Grand Prix which has to wait for another year, Domenicali says compiling a calendar is about compromise between financial factors as well as the quality of venues and their surroundings.

“We have to find a good balance,” he said. “What is the right number of races? What are our core markets? Where are there opportunities to rotate races from year to year if there are new tracks?

“Some of the new events last year lived on the fact that they were historic venues and spectacular tracks. But these venues also need to have the financial power to put an event on its feet.”

Follow us on Twitter @Planet_F1, like our Facebook page and join us on Instagram!