Recently, Lando Norris voiced strong concerns about Formula 1's expanded 24-race season during a press conference following the Chinese Grand Prix. He admitted that the packed schedule is harsh on team mechanics and not sustainable long-term.
The discussion around the sustainability of increasing race schedules has come into sharp focus amid the ongoing record-breaking 24-race 2024 season. Lando Norris recently criticized the extended calendar, particularly highlighting the strain it places on team staff.
Norris expressed his perspective at a media session after the Chinese Grand Prix, where he pointed out multiple drawbacks related to the burgeoning number of races. He said, as quoted by Motorsport Week:
"I'd always prefer the old, original race format [as opposed to the sprint race format]. This is what I've grown up watching, it's what I've always liked the most."
He didn't stop there; the McLaren driver added:
"I do like just going in and having the pressure straight away. So the fact of having one practice straight into qualifying, I do like it.
"I think it gives people less chance to just get the car perfect and I think that's when you just start to see [a sequence of] team, team, team, team rather than a mix. So I do think it works from that perspective.
"But the main point is just the toll it has on mechanics and engineers. I don't think it's too bad for us as drivers, honestly. I don't think we can be the ones to complain at all. It's the hundreds of mechanics and engineers that we have here that have to travel so much. It's not healthy for them. It is not sustainable.
"The problem is not with us so it's not something you should be asking us. It's something that people should look out more for the rest of the team. And I think that's a limiting factor, not the fact of can we go in the car every day, because I think we can but not doing too much for them I think is the priority."
The increasing number of races and added formats have been met with similar disapproval from other top drivers. Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso also shared critical viewpoints on the current F1 agenda. Verstappen candidly remarked, "F1 is way over the limit. I won't be racing in Formula 1 for another 10 years doing 24 races per season."
Alonso, with years of experience to back his claims, voiced, "This is not sustainable for the future. I think for anyone." His statement points towards an emerging consensus among drivers about the limits of what is reasonable within the sport.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
