FIA President Sends Waning To Formula 1 Management - 'Let's Just Be Sensible And Logical'

Saajan Jogia | Oct 14, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) lead the field into turn one during the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has warned that adding another race to the Formula 1 calendar would add significant pressure on the drivers and the governing body, which already operates at full capacity. He emphasized the need to be "sensible and logical" when considering such ideas.

Ahead of the demanding 24-race calendar, several drivers voiced concerns about fatigue and the toll the intense schedule could take. Ben Sulayem stated that he had utilized all his resources to look over the races this year, but in the event of an additional race being added to the calendar, he would need another team from the FIA to manage everything efficiently.

While the current Concorde Agreement permits 25 races to be held per season, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that Formula 1 will cap the races to 24 per season. Ben Sulayem believes adding one extra race to the calendar would significantly enhance the challenges. He told Motorsport.com:

“You cross a barrier where you need two teams, we can’t have [more].

“Can the drivers take it? I just want to know. Let's just be sensible and logical about it. Can the drivers take it physically and mentally? This is a question I will ask the drivers. And what about the teams?

“As for the FIA, we cannot do it with this one team. We have to have a rotation of two teams, when it comes to the staff on the ground.”

The FIA president emphasized that he will not stop Formula One Management (FOM) from adding an extra race to the F1 calendar, but he remains confident that it won't be done because the FOM is "sensible." He added:

“They never came back and said: ‘Oh, we need more.’ No way they did. What they are after is quality and that's why we have this good relationship with them.

“I mean, I will not stop [them] to go to 25, because it is their right, OK? [In the end] it's up to them.

"But they are the ones who don't want to add [more races at the moment]. Because they know that it becomes [a matter] of fatigue then. So they have their own reasons [for keeping the amount of races on 24].”

The topic of capping the Formula 1 calendar comes as more countries express interest in hosting the premier class of motorsport, with the latest contender being Rwanda, which recently outlined a plan to host an F1 race and presented it to the management. F1 driver Lewis Hamilton has been a strong advocate for Africa's inclusion on the F1 calendar.