Repeat of European triple-headers looks unlikely under new proposal

Formula One will now only consider running a triple-header over a series of flyaway events. This summer, during the football World Cup, F1 trialled a triple-header which included events in France, Austria and Britain. According to the sporting director Steve Nielsen, this will only happen again during flyaways.

The intensity of running three events over consecutive weekends fatigued the teams and transport staff. No triple-header is placed on the 2019 calendar and ahead of the Russian Grand Prix this weekend, Nielsen was asked about the lessons F1 learnt from the tripleheader earlier this year. 

"I think what it taught us is that if we were to do a triple-header again – and it's not something we'd undertake lightly - it would certainly be better to do it at flyaway events rather than European ones," Nielsen told Motorsport. 

"In Europe, we have large hospitality units. They are unique, but constructing and deconstructing them is enormously time-consuming and hugely expensive in terms of manpower etc.

"So if we were to do something like a triple-header I think it would be at flyaways."

Looking on paper, you'd be right to think teams and drivers will be travelling bigger distances during a flyaway tripleheader. While Nielsen admitted this, he explains why it would be much easier. 

"While European back-to-backs probably sound simpler, they are far more complex than the flyaways," he continued.

"The European back-to-backs involve taking down motorhomes, building motorhomes, fleets of trucks and all sorts of movement. In Europe, F1 requires nearly 300 articulated trucks. It's actually far more complex than a flyaway.

"If you had to choose a pattern F1 is best set up for, it's ironically the long distance flyways that are the easiest in terms of logistics."

Let us know your opinion on the triple-header in the comments!