McLaren’s Lando Norris has claimed that any driver complaining about Formula 1‘s record-breaking 24-round calendar being tough is “lying.”
2024 saw an additional two races compared to the previous campaign, which was already a then-record 22 races long.
With the season stretching from pre-season testing on February 21 to the Abu Dhabi post-season test on December 10, the 24-race calendar has had many detractors.
Following multiple errors in the Qatar Grand Prix, which included Norris failing to adhere to double-waved yellow flags, the McLaren driver was asked if that was down to fatigue.
“No,” Norris replied. “[The calendar is] not tough for us as drivers.
“If the driver says it’s tough, they’re lying. It’s just nonsense. We live a great life. We get paid a great amount of money.
“The mechanics, the engineers, they’re the ones who travel later. Travel on worse flights, spend a lot more days working than we do as drivers.
“Next time a driver complains, tell them to shut up.”
F1 drivers have ‘best conditions’ to cope with lengthy calendar
F1’s drivers earn a healthy living to do what they do and it’s the 100s of travelling mechanics, engineers and team personnel who bear the brunt of the lengthy F1 calendar.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc holds a similar view on the situation as Norris.
The Monegasque was asked how he felt about the lengthy campaign and whether his stance on 24 being the absolute maximum of races per year had changed.
“No, my view is not changing,” Leclerc said.
“I still think 24 is the maximum. Me, personally, I’m not that tired. As I’ve said many times in the past, I think drivers are travelling in the best possible conditions.
“We are staying in the best possible conditions. We are doing everything.
“We’ve got a team for recovery. We’ve got lots of things put around for us to be 100% from the first race to the last race.
“I think it’s a lot more difficult for the members of the team and this has to be kept in mind by F1.
“Where I struggle most is more about the private life. The balance between the private life and the professional life.
“Of course, the private life always becomes less and less the more races you have.
“On the other hand, I’m also in a position where I can bring my family to races and live for my passion.
“So, I cannot complain, but I still feel like 24 is probably the maximum that is reasonable.”
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