Formula 1 at the limit

Wolff, Marko and Wurz warn: “It can’t go on”

Toto Wolff, Helmut Marko and Alexander Wurz (from left to right) are not fans of the full calendar.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA Pictures)

The Formula 1 drivers had to contest 24 races last season - eight more than eleven years ago. While the calendar could even grow to 25 stops in the coming years, Toto Wolff has now warned: "It's no longer possible." Helmut Marko and Alexander Wurz agree with him ...

Formula 1 hopes to make more money from more racing action, but at the expense of the teams, who suffer from the numerous flights and different time zones. In particular, the triple-header at the end of the season (Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi) would have shown the employees their limits. "Las Vegas is brutal. You only see daylight for a few hours, you go to bed and don't know whether you should eat or not. Then you wake up at midday, or in the early morning, we were all different. And the rhythm takes so much out of you that you can hardly recover," recalled Mercedes team boss Wolff on ORF on Sunday. 

Mechanics suffer the most
"It's over the limit. And we are still traveling comfortably. The mechanics who set up and dismantle are flying economy. You can see it in people's faces now: it's no longer possible," warned the Viennese. TV expert Wurz can only agree with Wolff, he also thinks: "It's too much. I would prefer 16 races. Simply because of the sporting oversaturation." However, the former driver is also aware that Formula 1 has been booming for several years and that people want to see the races - even if there are 24 or even more. 

The Formula 1 calendar is growing from year to year.

(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Second crew?
According to the Concorde Agreement, 25 races per season is the upper limit, so the organizers are likely to mark another weekend on the calendar. Red Bull's motorsport consultant Marko is against this. "I think 24 is absolutely the limit. Although we are privileged in senior management. But you have to think about the mechanics," the Styrian agrees with Wolff. The 81-year-old at least appeals for a new order to relieve the burden on employees. "I think we need to coordinate the whole order better in order to keep these 24 races on the calendar. It's also an environmental issue not to fly all over the world. But in my opinion, more than 24 is not possible due to the workload. Unless you start with two crews."