F1 boss focused on calendar consolidation

F1 boss Stefano Domenicali believes the sport has the right number of events on its current calendar.

The 2023 season will take in 23 events, one down from what was originally planned following the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix.

Under the Concorde Agreement with teams, the sport can host as many as 25 races per annum, though Domenicali suggests that’s one above what he’s currently targeting.

“If you remember, just a couple of years ago, to think more than 15 or 17 grands prix was impossible,” he told Speedcafe.

“We’re not doing events because we want to do by forcing the system to do it; it’s because there is, as always, what is the balance between the demand and the offer.

“Today we are 23; we are going to be 24,” he added of the F1 calendar.

“I think that’s the right balance today with the value we have created around F1 in the world.

“And I think that will be the numbers we will keep to be sustainable in terms of attention, in terms of the possibility that everyone that wants to have [a race] will have [a race].

“In certain areas like Europe, for example, we may have a possibility to think of a rotational structure that could enable a lot of promoters to be within the championship, so that’s really something that could happen.”

Formula 1 this year is expanding in the United States with the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, while Qatar joins the calendar properly after its 2021 cameo.

Domenicali has previously identified the ‘Far East’ as an area of potential growth in terms of new events, as he did a return to South Africa.

Adding events is a simple way to drive up revenue for the underlying business, though it comes at a cost as it reduces the exclusivity factor.

It also increases the cost for teams and the impact on staff.

“I’m 58 and doing all the races,” noted Domenicali, a father of four.

“We do respect the balance of life, but we don’t have to also forget that we are blessed to be part of this system.

“We’re doing a job that if you don’t love it, no one is forcing you to do it.

“It just really is not compulsory like military service; it’s something that you do if you like it.

“At this moment, I think that all the people that are in our system should be blessed to think that they have the chance to be part of this world.

“I know that it’s the duty of an organisation to try to organise itself the best way,” he continued.

“Rotational people, having more people that can do the same job, that’s part of the right way to tackle the growth of the sport that is giving benefit to everyone.

“The reason why we are growing is because also the teams are… they are taking the right advantage for the fact that today, we can collect more money to share and to make sure that the system is strong for the future.”