Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen has questioned the sport’s expansion to a record-breaking 24-race calendar for the 2024 season.
F1 had intended to embark on a 24-race calendar in 2023 before China was struck from the calendar ahead of the season for COVID-19 complications and Imola was aborted due to severe flooding in the Emilia Romagna region.
Still, 2023 still held a record 22 races, with plans set to run 24 grands prix next year and Hakkinen, F1 Drivers’ Champion in 1998 and ’99 with McLaren, has said that even this year you could see signs of burnout within the F1 paddock and raised his concerns regarding next year.
“The 2023 season was record-breakingly long,” began the Finnish racer’s remarks on the Unibet International YouTube channel.
“Compared to my years in F1 – I think we had a maximum of 17 races – [there were] 22 races.
“I attended some of them [and] you could see in people’s faces how tough the end of the season was.
“Ultimately, 22 races as a number is not that high. The problem is constantly having back-to-back races.
“The transitions from A to B are hard. Once again, you have to find the racing attitude and focus.
“I think that’s the biggest challenge for many – not necessarily only the drivers, but the mechanics and the organisation. That was probably the biggest challenge.”
A big part of Formula 1’s growing calendar is a rise in popularity for the series, particularly in the U.S. which has gone from hosting one grand prix to three in the past three years.
The F1 calendar has also extended its footprint in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar both making their debuts in 2021.
“Going forward, there are even more races,” added Hakkinen. “It’s going to be a tough task.
“Maybe the world calls for it. The fans call for it. They want more races. More racing. The task of F1 is to deliver and fill the calendar.”
24 races is a far cry from what Hakkinen was accustomed to during his F1 career, having raced less than 20 grands prix a year up until his sabbatical and subsequent retirement at the end of 2001.
Hakkinen stated that if he were still driving today, compensation and other factors would have to be considered to ensure he was comfortable.
“If I still drove in F1 and saw the number of races, I would have stern negotiations with the team about the compensation,” he noted.
“And not only about that, but how it can be ensured that people’s endurance is at a required level to make sure that everyone can still work without errors.
“We’re talking about a sport with super high speeds. You don’t want to make mistakes.”
I agee…. Fewer races spares us of the suffering of hearing the Austrian anthem over and over again.