Source: Red Bull Content Pool

F1 News

Horner: 21-race F1 calendar at saturation point

Horner: 21-race F1 calendar at "saturation point"

11-10-2018 12:30
1
Author profile picture

Jake Williams-Smith

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes that the Formula One calendar has reached its "saturation point" with 21 races per season. Horner says that the F1 schedule cannot be expanded past this number due to costs and travel.

Rumours suggest that races in Miami, Vietnam and Assen could all be added to the calendar but Horner is of the view that the current number is the ceiling.

“Twenty-one races, I think, is about saturation point,” Horner said during the team personnel press conference in Japan.

“There’s only so many chapters you can have in a book and I think at some point you go beyond what’s relevant. I think to go as low as 15 or 16 I think is too low but I think that 21 is the upper end.

“It’s tough. It’s tough for the guys in the garage, for the travelling staff, it’s tough for everybody involved and I think for the spectator and fans as well, beyond 21 races it reaches saturation, so I think it’s finding that balance.

“I think the really encouraging thing is that there are some great venues that want to host Formula 1 races and events and I think that that should provide natural competition for the venues that are already on the calendar.”

Sauber boss Fred Vasseur also weighed in on the matter, adding that more races could dilute the product.

“For sure we will never go more than 21 because that is, from my point of view, far too much.

“I think at one stage also we are losing the exceptional of the event; the more races you are doing, everybody is used to and at one stage we have to keep the exceptional side of the races and for me it’s a bit too much but I will follow the calendar for sure. I won’t stop after 18 next year.”