The 2021 F1 calendar looks... stressful and boring
A record number of 23 races are planned for F1's 2021 season. But with that number of races comes a great risk.
By now, you've probably caught a glimpse of the 2021 Formula 1 calendar somewhere. Next season we'll see a whopping 23 races in 23 different countries. If everything goes according to plan, of course, let's not forget (I bet you really didn't) that we're amid a global pandemic.
With the addition of Saudi Arabia, the already packed original schedule of 22 races for 2020 comes to 23. With some if's and but's: Vietnam has been scrapped but a new race will be planned that weekend. And we will be returning to Barcelona if all parties can agree on the contractual terms.
Strain
When the 2020 calendar was first published, there were already some questions regarding the impact on all of the F1 personnel. Drivers admitted that they didn't mind - they love to spend as much time as possible racing.
But they were also the first to acknowledge the possible strain on the rest of the team. The mechanics and engineers, the hospitality and support crew. "They might as well file for divorce straight away", said Max Verstappen back in 2019 when the calendar was announced.
Never afraid to be outspoken you might think, but Verstappen was not wrong. The drivers fly in on a Wednesday or Thursday and fly back home after the race on Sunday. But a large chunk of the team is already on the track on Monday or Tuesday, preparing for the race weekend. And then packing up until late after the race
Verstappen again:
"Meanwhile, the big bosses arrive on a Friday or maybe even a Saturday morning. And they fly back home straight after or sometimes even during the race. For them, it's not a problem. They can easily do 30 races because they're only away for two days".
As for the original calendar for this year, we could say that 2020 dealt with that in its own 2020 matter. It's still an amazing tour-de-force that F1 has managed to put on a championship of 17 rounds.
But the four (!) triple headers that had to be planned for it to work out, made clear that there is al limit to what the teams can ask of their staff. Next year we’ll have two triple headers and five double headers.
Remote work
Of course, F1 teams don't mind a challenge. They've been evaluating their way of working ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck and have been improving along the way during this championship.
For this season, most of that effort would be related to positive COVID-tests and ensuring that the level of operation would be maintained in case a person or a part of the team has to be replaced. The learnings acquired can easily be translated in a fully packed 23 schedule. How can they effectively rotate personnel to prevent high-stress levels and even potential burnouts?
The process most teams are currently going through is probably best visualised by Ferrari's team principal Mattia Binotto this weekend. Or actually, his empty chair on the pit wall. Binotto has decided to stay behind in Maranello for the weekend, trying to manage the team via remote connections.
It sounds legit, most of the people that have a desk job have by now been told to work from home. Technology can bring you a long way. But managing an F1 team via video calls and remote connections? Best hope that there's not too much lag on that internet connection.
According to Ferrari's F1 director Laurent Mekies, Binotto has been finetuning this process for the past two years. The main purpose is trying to reduce the amount of travel Binotto (or other staff members) has to do during the season. Cutting costs, reducing stress, helping out F1 with those climate-neutral goals along the way.
Personally, I fully welcome, support and applaud this kind of effort. If you can reduce the number of people travelling to 23 countries in 10 months: go go go.
However, I'm not so sure if it's feasible for a team principal. Let's not forget Toto Wolff ran a similar experiment (for the same reasons) for the Brazil 2019 weekend. But Wolff hasn't missed a single race since then and has repeatedly said that all the travel that comes with the role as team principal might become too much for him.
Boring
And then there's the strain a long season could have on us, the fans. The passionate followers, creative content makers and all-round avid followers of the sport.
I don't know how you feel about it, but imagine the current season would have lasted another 8 races after this weekend. The season has been pretty predictable so far - certainly at the top of the charts. Yes, we have been surprised by some tight battles in midfield, some unexpected twists during the weekend and even the odd podium every now and then.
Most of this courtesy of the venues we got to visit this year and the circumstances provided. Everyone was coming in blank when we kicked off in Austria. The tires played an immense role in Silverstone (twice). We had the rollercoasters of Mugello and Portimao. The shortened race weekends in Germany and Imola. Who knows what Turkey and Bahrain Outer will bring?
But if all goes according to plan, none of this is coming back next season. Yes, I'm looking forward to a race that's practically in my own backyard (Zandvoort) and the (promise of) excitement and nostalgia the likes of Silverstone, Red Bull Ring, Monza, Japan and Interlagos can bring. But then again: China, Barcelona, Paul Ricard and Sochi are on that same calendar.
Drivers wouldn't mind swapping in some of the 'old school tracks' for 2021. As Max Verstappen said this Thursday:
“We have had a few good races. Portimao was cool, I just hope we have a bit more grip if we would ever come back there. Imola was nice, I think the track was very old-school. Nurburgring I also enjoyed so there are actually a few which could replace some Grand Prix' we have on the calendar."
Toto Wolff chimed in with a similar comment, praising the old school tracks we've visited in 2020 and calling some the current modern tracks 'oversized supermarket car parks'.
Not much is changing between December and March 2021 due to all the restrictions and development caps. Worst case scenario we could be looking at a prolonged version of this year's championship.
“We have a large following, not just on track, but also on the screens. And at some point, obviously, you saturate and people probably don’t want to see another Formula 1 race on the weekend"
Sebastian Vettel remarked during the pressers on Thursday.
For Liberty, it's apparently a risk worth taking. And for us, the fans? We'll probably all give them the benefit of the doubt one more time. Again.
I know I will. Like in every sport, the passionate fans (that's us, team) will find a moment, a twist, a storyline that will go down in history and will probably make you forget you even had doubts about the season somewhere down the line.
Enjoy the return to Turkey and double-check your local start time for the race!
Cheers,
Johan
📑 The Debrief
Perez contemplating sabbatical as Red Bull delays decision
Sergio Perez is seriously considering a sabbatical for 2021 as his chances for a seat in F1 are slimming. According to Perez this is partly due to the fact that Red Bull is in no rush to make a decision regarding Albon's seat. Is the Austrian team really Perez' only option or is it a new attempt to apply some pressure on Helmut Marko and Christian Horner?
Saudi Arabia eager to host W-Series event supporting it's F1 race
After the news broke that the W-Series will join F1 on 8 race weekends next year, the organisation of the Saudi Arabia GP was one of the first to express it’s interest in hosting it. A street race in Jeddah was confirmed for F1 next season, but met with quite some negative sentiment online.
Is AlphaTauri the third quickest team in F1 right now?
AlphaTauri had an amazing run at Portimao and Imola, with top 5 finished in both races. A significant jump from being the seventh fastest car on average in 2020 so far. But is it enough to call the Italian team the third quickest team in F1?
Toto Wolff does not feel cornered in Hamilton negotiations
Although both parties have expressed their shared intent to continue their partnership, Hamiltons remarks after the Imola GP caused quite a stir. It doesn’t change the way Toto Wolff experiences the negotiations with the Briton.
Interlagos will host Brazilian GP until 2025, no word on controversial Rio plan
Interlagos made a surprise comeback on the 2021 calendar this week. The race was initially marked with an asterix, noting it was still depending on contract negotiations. Just 48 hours later the plot thickened, as Sao Paolo was confirmed to be a GP host until 2025 while no mention was made of the controversial new track that would arise in Rio de Janeiro.
"S*** with a capital S" - Hamilton not happy with new surface of Istanbul track
If you happened to catch (one of) the first two free practises yesterday, you already witnessed the remarkable track conditions in Istanbul. The track was recently resurfaced but hasn’t seen any action on it since then. On top of that, the track was doused with water ahead of practice to clean it. It made for an entertaining practice, but Lewis Hamilton was anything but pleased.