1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has predicted a “brutal” end to the 2024 season with a triple-header arranged to close out a record-breaking calendar.
The return of China and Imola will see the 2024 F1 schedule comprise 24 grands prix – more than the equal-high 22 rounds that have taken place in the past two seasons.
After the problems with searing heat last year, Qatar has been moved to accompany Las Vegas and the traditional season finale in Abu Dhabi on three successive weekends.
The desire to host the Las Vegas Grand Prix at night caused complications, prompting several individuals to suggest changes to the timetable. Those concerns only increased when drivers were informed that the round would form the second part of a season-closing triple header for the 2024 season.
But Las Vegas has retained its 22:00 local start time, and Villeneuve asserts that the conclusion to this campaign is going to provide a challenge to all those involved.
“That’s gonna be brutal,” he told Planet F1 regarding the 2024 calendar. “Already, the double-header late in the season, flying back from Vegas – it’s not an easy airport to fly from so getting here… it’s ok for a big team because they can rent a big plane, put all the mechanics in it, and fly.
“It’s really brutal for the media – I think this is the group that is being left behind in all that is happening. The cost of everything is going up, hotels, travelling, these trips have become very, very complicated.
“But, for teams, they find ways to travel. Staff rotations can work but it’s hard on the staff. The timezone is in the wrong direction because you lose time by coming in instead of gaining.
“It makes it very hectic to set everything up, set the teams up, catering, and all that. It takes time and that’s a little bit rough.
“To have three in a row, although Qatar is not far from here, will be very tiring, especially at the end of the year and the season finishing in December. It’s tough for the mechanics as well, not the drivers.”
Amid growing concerns over the welfare of the engineers who travel to races, Mercedes Technical Director James Allison revealed that discussions have been held between F1 and the FIA regarding the potential implementation of a race cap for personnel.
However, Villeneuve admits the workload for drivers in the current era is less strenuous than it was during the Canadian’s time when in-season testing was a relentless function.
“If you look at the days when there was testing, there were fewer races, but a lot of testing,” he explained.
“So the amount of mileage and days on the track for the driver was more back then, but you had two teams, a test team, and the race team. So the mechanics actually had time to go back home and so on – it has become brutal on the mechanics.”
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