I found myself wondering as much over the weekend, having perused the FIA’s “updated provisional calendar” for the 2016 Formula One season.
If you haven’t yet had the chance to consider it in detail yourself, know that it is but a minor alteration to the confirmed, but apparently provisional, calendar ratified earlier in the year.
It still features a mighty 21 races, with modifications being made only to the timing of the grands prix to accommodate a mid-season break, which had been omitted in the original official-not-official document.
The season now starts two weeks earlier, which means teams will be pushed to have their Australian Grand Prix-specification cars ready ahead of time in exchange for a more leisurely schedule and, perhaps more pertinently for you, the accommodation you booked for the first weekend in April is now worthless. Melbourne’s lovely in the autumn, however.
But as for the original question – why? – the answer is more elusive than creating a marginally less brutal work-life balance for team personnel or creating last-minute logistical challenges.
Pushing us from this year’s 19 races into 21 is the reinstatement of the German Grand Prix, allegedly to take place at Hockenheim at the end of July, and the additions of the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City and the much-publicised ‘European Grand Prix’ in Azerbaijan (check Google Maps).
The latter sits at the crux of the question as to why the sport feels the need to stretch itself across such a workload to put strain on an already overburdened workforce.
Azerbaijan serves no strategic advantage for Formula One. It is not a major market, it has not contributed anything of significance to the sport by way of teams, drivers, or sponsors, and could not be considered a particularly influential or powerful country which may benefit Formula One in the long term. Nothing against Azerbaijan – I’m sure it’s lovely in the springtime – but its presence on the calendar of a sport selling itself as all glitz and glamour is questionable.
The answer is money, of course, and this surprises no-one – the modus operandi of the commercial rights holder has always been about maximising profits. But the lack of a coherent end for the calendar for which Formula One is generating the means via some of the world’s more obscure territories is more confusing.
Currently occupying space on the calendar are races in Russia, but in the sluggish Sochi rather than Moscow, Bahrain, and Malaysia, and stricken from the schedule in recent years were races in Korea, but in the middle of a swamp rather than the dazzling lights of Seoul, and India, but at a facility that never seemed complete.
While these countries cannot be begrudged their opportunity to host a grand prix – hey, the World Cup’s going to Qatar, after all – what benefit have they had on the sport? Can those in charge of the events truthfully say the best of their nations have been on display at any of them, and can Formula One say that its attendance at any of those circuits has contributed to the fabric of the sport? I wouldn’t have thought so.
In the sport’s quest to increase profits it has lost its way. Under the dubious heading of increasing its global footprint there is only blank space – there is no strategy worth mentioning, and no reason or rhyme as to the calendar’s composition beyond minor geopolitical squabbles dictating how many weekends should fall between races in the same region.
Nothing exemplifies this lack of direction like the sport’s inability to close the deal for a race in New Jersey, an event that would have been a real boon for Formula One’s image. I regret to say that 2016 will be the fourth year in a row that it has failed to materialise in a season, not that anyone is genuinely expecting it to pull through at all.
Most painful of all about the current calendar, however, is not that in itself it is of questionable strategic value, or that it is of questionable strategic value at a time when Formula One’s stocks are dipping in light of falling attendance figures, television viewership, and sponsorship revenue, but that it is arbitrarily putting pressure on teams to deliver more often under increasingly difficult circumstances.
This is not the first time this column has highlighted the strain put on team members, who do the heavy lifting for an average working wage, by Formula One’s work schedule.
But it nonetheless begs the question, particularly as we head into what seems likely to be a record long season: if Formula One isn’t going racing for the sport, and it isn’t going racing for the teams, what is it racing for?
woodart
Guest
its called product, just like nrl league season that grinds on way to long with meaningless games or the grind that is the nascar schedule. the first rule of show business is' leave the audience wanting more', but modern sportness(business masquerading as sport)demands ever more product to attach adverts to it. if F1 really wants to be serious about being the elite form of motorsport, they should cut back on the joke races on mickey mouse tracks. if they want to have a long term serious F1 race in the u.s. they should do anything-everything to make a race at indianapolis work. like it or not indy is racing royalty, like monaco or monza. races around shopping malls are rubbish and deserve to be ridiculed. the greatest drivers in the greatest cars deserve to race on the greatest tracks, do they not???or is it,, oh its tuesday, we must be in kabul
Michael Lamonato
Expert
I've always preferred the Malaysian GP, but I would understand choosing China considering how big the market is there. Even though the race doesn't seem to have ever really caught on, it's probably important to be there. Mexico may well prove to be a stayer, too, considering it does have history. Austria and Hungary would be the two extra European races I'd add to your list. Solid combination of grands prix you've made!
Michael Lamonato
Expert
That's a pretty cool idea, to have the European Grand Prix as a designated rotation round between a bunch of old EU races that can't afford to be on the calendar every year. I don't think anyone would be disappointed to revisit some classics.
Michael Lamonato
Expert
Yeah, there'll be no complaints from the drivers, but the mechanics/engineers/etc are another matter entirely. They're flying in earlier and leaving later than the high fliers of the sport, working later and being paid way less. Turnover in the sport is high, there's no escaping this fact, and it's because the workload is heavier than ever. Certainly Bernie loses no sleep over his critics, but neither he nor his employer goes to every race.
Michael Lamonato
Expert
Yeah, has been surprisingly brushed over. A hint from Bernie that he doesn't want his drivers competing in an increasingly powerful rival series? Hmm...
MJ
Guest
Should be no more than 18 with 16 the ideal number. FLY AWAY ROUNDS - Australia - Abu Dhabi (N) - Singapore (N) - Japan - Brazil (Finale) - US - Canada - 1 Other (China/Malaysia) EUROPEAN ROUNDS - Monaco - GB - Italy - Spain - Germany - Belgium - 2 Others (Turkey/Hungary etc)
Hansie
Guest
The broader issue for F1 is whether there will be enough cars going to these 21 venues. A number of teams remain on the financial edge.
SM
Guest
Azerbaijan is nothing more than a slap in face. One week after Montreal and on the same weekend as Le Mans for crying out loud! I imagine the teams wouldn't be exactly pleased to be leaving one of the most popular venues on the calendar almost immediately after the race to jet off to a place only some of us would have heard of five years ago. And calling it the European GP. Wow! As I've said previously (maybe not on the website), the title of European GP should alternate between Brands, Imola or the Nurburgring. From the three countries who have had the biggest impact on the sport throughout. I'd add the French in there but we've already done away with them. Another disgrace!
SM
Guest
Should go back to sixteen as far as I'm concerned. Makes these events special again, held in countries with strong motor racing traditions. Leave these newer countries to fight for the right to host races in the lower formulae. Perhaps if sustained interest in shown in these places in the long them, then they can make the step to F1. None of this will ever happen of course.
Simoc
Guest
The racing is great at the moment and I'm all for 21 GPs. Dec, Jan off and a midweek break of 3 weeks. Its great having new venues but street races like Singapore, Australia would be better for the sport in places like India, Russia and the USA. The noise isn't a problem now. It's always amusing to see the Ecclestone knockers. Poor sods. Bernie losers no sleep over the knockers. He is of course an employee of a very wealthy group who would sack him if he wasn't the best. Most folk have to work all year and the racers love racing. There'll be no complaints from the drivers.
Stumpy
Roar Rookie
With how pathetic and stagnant the racing is atm 5 races would be more then enough. Anything after that is just for the sake of high speed bill boards, because it's definitely not about competition or entertainment.
nordster
Guest
What about a two year venue calendar? So cap it at 15 or 18 or whatever per year ....but take it to 25 or more venues over a two year window. So the big events get it every year, the rest alternate every second season.
NaBUru38
Guest
Having a race at Azerbaijan the same weekend as the 24 Hours if Le Mans is unforgivable.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Hahahahah love this comment. Bernie's lost his marbels at 84 years old and he really needs to be in a retirement villa in the bahamas with his millions instead of battering the F1 into the ground and losing millions
Alexander Clough
Roar Pro
Easy, it's racing for Bernie. As simple as it sounds, given the uproar from both teams and punters in regards to tires and the double-points race, the locations of new races only helps to serve the hypothesis that Bernie is off his rocker. He'll soon go the way of Sepp Blatter I reckon.
Connor Bennett
Editor
I did have a read of that article and I really do think the Grand Slam style events would really be a great base for F1 to rebuild their calendar around in the future.. as you said, races like Russia, Bahrain and Malaysia are just occupying space and are not really needed
Gazmon
Guest
16 races. Have 8 main-stay races, such as Monaco, Silverstone, etc. Then the remaining 8 are rotated based on region from those that want to host. For example, an Asian pool with Korea, India, Malaysia, China... each year 2 of the 4 are used, then flipped the following year. Make sure you keep a mid-season break and 2-weeks between races... and drop that double-points stuff too.
Michael Lamonato
Expert
Yeah, agreed. 20 races should be the absolute limit if the races justify their places, with fifteen the sweet spot sitting at around 15 to 18. Trent Price wrote about the idea of "grand slam" races, which has been discussed in various forms on occasion, last week: http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/09/24/whos-watching-formula-one-anyway/.
Connor Bennett
Editor
The seasons are becoming much too long and the strain being put on the teams is just increasing as they try to run around the globe whilst maintaining world class racing vehicles. Formula 1 is grabbing at straws by putting in more grand prix events in an attempt to make more money. I think a less is more approach would benefit the F1 as a business by cutting the amount of races down to 12 or 13 and make those events into big marquee races that have a huge event feel to them to draw the casual audience in much like Monaco or Spa