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Szafnauer wants F1 calendar limited to 20 races

Szafnauer wants F1 calendar limited to 20 races

03-07-2019 08:09 Last update: 08:09
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Bobby Vincent

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer wants Formula 1 to limit its racing calendar to 20 races.

Liberty Media, who own F1, has recently announced two new races on the calendar - with events in Vietnam and the Netherlands coming in 2020.

However, we are yet to know if the 2020 calendar will increase from this season's 21 races, or if the new races will simply replace current races on the schedule.

Szafnauer thinks the current calendar would benefit more if it was reduced to 20 races, to persuade promoters to pay a higher price for the privilege of hosting a round of the F1 championship.

"My personal opinion is (Liberty) needs to have a good, hard look at the price elasticity of Formula 1," Szafnauer said to RaceFans. "Are you better off with 18 races and having the 18th one compete with the other 17 to knock the price up? Or are you better off having 25?

"My personal opinion is - make it more exclusive, charge a little bit more, which is better for all of your employees."

Liberty Media has recently hinted at increasing the calendar to 25 races eventually - something the Racing Point team principal strongly disagrees with: "If you go to 25 (races), it just loses something.

"I'd like it to go to America a couple more times, maybe Miami. I'd also like it to maintain a good base in Europe. That's what Liberty or Chase (Carey, Formula 1 CEO) said early on that we're going to do.

"I think that is important. I'd like to see it go to Africa, because I think that Africa is an up and coming continent. Maybe we'll race in South Africa."