Formula One must slam on the brakes after a interval of speedy development and keep away from the temptation so as to add but extra races to its record-sized calendar, two group principals instructed Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Haas group principal Guenther Steiner warned F1 bosses that there was a hazard of “hitting a cliff and falling down” if the game didn’t consolidate on a interval of spectacular world development.
The booming F1 circuit will develop to 24 races subsequent season with three races within the United States as Las Vegas joins the celebration together with Austin and Miami whereas the Chinese and Qatar races are as a result of return after short-term absences.
“I think we need stabilization in my opinion. The amount of races … don’t do more, stabilize where we are now,” Steiner stated in an interview.
“Twenty-four races is enough in the moment in my opinion,” he stated.
Williams group principal Jost Capito agreed and stated that even with this season’s calendar, the pressure is being felt with the Brazil and Abu Dhabi races nonetheless to be run.
“With 22 races this year and 24 races next year, it is a big change. I think 24 is a lot for the teams, when you see now towards the last races you see that the teams are getting tired, exhausted and looking forward to the end of the season, it is a lot,” he instructed AFP.
Scratching the floor
“I don’t know if we lose the audience, (but) for the teams the logistics and everything gets very complicated. I think 24 is doable and when this is established, you have 24, then you have to judge if you can do 25 or 26. I think in the moment it is a big step to go to 24,” he added.
Steiner stated that the growth the game has loved since being bought by American firm Liberty Media after which cashing in on a vastly profitable Netflix “Drive to Survive” sequence, must be protected.
“In the last four or five years since Liberty took over the sport, there was a lot of change and it was all good change but I think at some stage, we cannot keep on just ramping up,” he stated.
“Like within the States: stabilize three races. Do not attempt to do 4 or 5 within the subsequent two to 3 years, then it’s getting an excessive amount of. It is similar with races. We have gotten now 24 races (within the calendar) – don’t attempt to make 27. Stabilize after which rethink in a number of years, how can we make it even larger now?
“How we ramped it up, it is amazing, but we cannot keep going like this, it has just never happened before, so we need to be careful that we are not ramping up and then fall down. We don’t want to go up and up and then hit a cliff and fall down,” he stated.
But Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali, who like Steiner and Capito was in Las Vegas to advertise subsequent season’s Grand Prix, was in no temper for discuss of easing off on development.
“We don’t need to slow down. I think in the U.S, we are just scratching the surface of what we can do. We need to focus on future growth,” he instructed AFP.
“Just a few years in the past, folks had been saying F1 is on a downward slope however I’m very blissful that’s not the case.
“Twenty-four races – it’s a lot. Could be less. Could be more. But that is what we as a business are ready to propose to fans. We need to be proud of what we have done,” he stated.
Both Italian Steiner and German Capito stated that the cost-cap regulation wanted to be stored tight and be nicely enforced if there was to be an efficient aggressive steadiness between the established large groups, akin to Mercedes and Red Bull, and challengers akin to their very own groups.
“We need to stabilize everything in the moment. Also, the cost-cap regulation, not to change it, even if the big teams try to push it up. We need to say no – it is a good thing,” Steiner stated.
“The cap is the most important thing. So the teams get closer together, more than they are now, so the sport gets more interesting and build on that and then make the next steps,” he stated.
