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F1 could have fewer races, tracks on rotation - Domenicali
Formula 1 could lower the number of races in a season in future if it improves the product on offer, enabling it to rotate certain venues, according to the sport’s new CEO Stefano Domenicali.
In 2021 F1 will attempt a record 23-race calendar, running from March to December. While Domenicali acknowledges the increasing number of races is being seen as too much by some involved in the sport, he sees a solution where the demand to host an event actually allows some to be held less regularly.
"23 races is a very important number of races, no doubt," Domenicali told Sky Sports. "In terms of quantity, in terms of attention, in terms of dedication of the people. There could be two positions on that respect, someone can say there are too many, some others that that is not a problem.
"I would say that this equation will solve itself by the fact that if we're able to deliver an incredible product, we may go to a situation where maybe we can go back to a fewer number of races and then maybe the chance of a rotation is possible for certain grands prix, keeping a focus on different areas.
"This is something that is in our plan to think about carefully this year, getting ready for when the world is normal again.”
While this year’s calendar has so far seen Australia moved to November and the Chinese Grand Prix postponed, Domenicali says the sport will be flexible but currently hopes to make no further changes.
"What I can share is that I'm personally speaking on a daily basis with all the organizers. We know the pandemic is still there -- that's why we changed the place in the calendar of Australia.
"But so far the information we have is that everyone really would like to go ahead with the plan. Of course we need to be flexible enough to understand that maybe in the first part of the season we may have some events with no public or with restricted members of the public.
"But what I can assure our supporters, our fans, is that really we want to make sure that the season is there -- we have a commitment and we want to take that on board, and we have possible alternatives in case (more changes need to be made), but so far no one has given us different information to what we have shared.
"This is what we know today, but we know how the pandemic has evolved so we need to be ready for a flexible approach to the season."
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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