DECEMBER 17, 2019

No 25-race F1 calendars yet says Todt

Jean Todt thinks Formula 1 needs to lift the throttle when it comes to expanding the annual calendar.

Chase Carey, Jean Todt, German GP 2019
© RV Press

Jean Todt thinks Formula 1 needs to lift the throttle when it comes to expanding the annual calendar.

Next year, for the first time ever, the schedule is growing to 22 races.

"This is a big topic in Formula 1," Sebastian Vettel told Blick newspaper. "Are the break periods too short now?" he wondered.

New F1 owner Liberty Media has even added provisions for up to 25 races per year in the new contractual agreements, which would affect the way teams operate.

"There are more fans than people realise in the US and China, two of the biggest media markets in the world," F1 CEO Chase Carey told Yahoo.

But FIA president Todt is indicating he wants to pump the brakes.

"I think it will be a long process to approach 25 races," he is quoted by Motorsport-Magazin.com.

"At the moment we should focus on 22 races," the Frenchman added.

(GMM)