Formula 1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali is aiming for a total of 24 races in next season’s championship -a figure he believes is a requirement in the current market.
The former Ferrari team principal previously claimed in March 2022 that there was enough serious interest from event promoters to form a 30-race calendar. He later clarified that a 24-event season should be F1’s “maximum” and “did not want to discuss any more than that number”.
Domenicali reiterated his determination for a 24-round season when speaking on Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast: “What we want to do next year is 24 and I think 24 is the right number,” he said.
“It’s the number that is required within the market. I would say it’s the right balance between that, the complexity of the logistics and of the people that are working.
“I would say this is the number which we should target to be stable for a long time.”
Historical races such as Monza, Spa and Silverstone have been under threat from new locations fighting for a spot on the Formula 1 calendar.
However, Domenicali insists that if these historical events are able to evolve with the sport, then they can protect their place in the sport.
“It’s very important that the historical races have their own personality. I’m laughing when I hear people that are saying Formula 1 is not respecting historical races,” Domenicali said.
“It’s absolutely the other way around. What we want is to use this incredible moment where Formula 1 is growing, to make sure that everyone is doing the right thing.
“It’s a matter of understanding that the world is evolving. So historical races will always be part of the calendar, but there is the need for some of them to recognise the changes that they have to make on the infrastructure, for example.
“That is not changing the layout of traditional races. But the fans are coming more and more with different needs. If you do not give them what they deserve, it’s not historical anymore is it?
“If you remember, two years ago when there was discussion that Belgium is out of the calendar. And, by the way, the answer was Belgium is in the calendar, but they reacted very well. They invested in infrastructure that is related to the best experience that we want to give to the fans.”
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