Michael Lamonato penned a recent article about the excessive Formula One schedule.
If Miami and Vietnam present viable models for 2020, that would bring the calendar to 23 races. Argentina could even bring it to 24.
Something has to give.
I’d like to see a maximum of 20 races, with European races being two weekends on and one off to ensure that flyover races don’t have to be back-to-back, but Liberty aren’t going to be that drastic. 22 races is a likely figure.
The question is, what venues would be in the firing line?
The shortcomings of Monaco are well-established but irrelevant. Monaco is Formula 1. It’s not going anywhere. With Singapore being promoted as the modern Eastern equivalent, it is similarly safe.
Spa, Monza and Silverstone. Great support, great history, great racing. Germany and Japan each have two venues worthy of the calendar for the same reasons.
Spain and Hungary’s usage as test venues makes them safe. And France and Austria have the pedigree and crowds, including many willing to cross the border. With multiple Frenchmen on the grid and Red Bull owning the Spielberg circuit, they too are both safe.
Liberty are obviously determined to crack their home country, so Texas is a no-brainer, and Canada and Mexico are de facto home events. Brazil needs to work on security, course upgrades and are hampered by the state of their nation’s economy, but the quality of track layout, loyal fans, history of the event and favourable time zone work in their favour.
They’re staying on the calendar.
China’s population is over a billion. Need I say more? The UAE, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Russia have a lot of money behind them. Bernie’s gone, but money still talks in F1.
Which leaves us with…Australia. Let’s see, terrible time zone for Europe and no willingness to make it a nighttime event, government opposition to the cost of the event, a city that only a comparatively small number of people are close enough to drive to, and a circuit that could best be described as “not the worst of the street circuits.”
Obviously, it would alienate our audiences if Albert Park was dropped from the calendar, and the teams may miss having a ‘safe’ season opener to prepare for, but they’re not compelling arguments.
I don’t have the solutions, but Melbourne needs to do something to make themselves more appealing than the likes of Baku, Budapest, Sakhir and Hanoi.
Buffy
Guest
Aussie Gp is usually boring, The track is not appealing. The crowd usually boo someone. I'd be glad to see the back of it.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
BREAKING NEWS: Mahatma Cote has been confirmed as a guest commentator.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I hear that that weekend the AFL is planning a 6 a side tournament with teams captained by Chris Gayle, the person sitting in bay 18, row 12, seat 3, Plucka Duck, and the runner-up from MasterChef 2016. The innovative format is set to include sumo suits, mid-game rule changes, multi-ball, and 'last goal wins'. At this stage, 85000 tickets have been sold for the opening night.
Michael Lamonato
Expert
Yeah, I think that's fair, though that's at least partly been down to clashes with the first round of the AFL season. I think it'll get a bit more traction again now that the race is scheduled between the preseason and first round.
BigAl
Guest
It has definately faded...
Michael Lamonato
Expert
It's a bit ironic, then, that you're talking about it in a comments section on an F1 article other people are also commenting about! Obviously I'm biased, but I live near the circuit and don't find the process of hosting the race in the inner suburbs problematic. (I also talk about it plenty.)
whiskers
Guest
As a resident of Melbourne's inner south, get rid of this irrelevent event. It grips Melbourne like a sponge. I'm yet to meet anyone who talks about it.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Last thing I read was that they were only looking to resurface the track, which is less than encouraging. Spanish support is strong enough that they were able to have Valencia on the schedule at the same time as Barcelona not that long ago. If (when) Alonso goes to IndyCars, crowds may be affected, but they'll survive. The track is dull, but there seems little appetite for change from the powers that be. Regarding Hungary, if another track can offer conditions for testing that are suitable for the teams (cost, availability, etc), then it would be in trouble. Their advantage is the fact that they're in Europe, since one of the issues is staff fatigue.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I know everyone likes to start there (as opposed to the Bahrain experiment) but with such an overcrowded calender, getting rid of one of the longest trips would be difficult to argue against. And would it be Melbourne or nothing for Australia? NSW is aggressively bidding for all kinds of sporting events. If we could get WA on board (still with a night race), some of the timezone issues would be reduced.
Steve
Guest
The organizers of the Melbourne F1GP need to adopt a night race and look to adapt the track to ensure several overtaking opportunities per lap are offered, if its possible to do so within the confines of the Albert Park precinct, to ensure its survival. A genuine night race is essential to ensure it remains on the calendar. That said, Barcelona and Hungary should be the first races looking to be dropped due to the procession nature and lack of overtaking opportunities these tracks present, regardless of their status as testing tracks.
Rob Davison
Roar Rookie
It's very sad that i kind of agree with you Tim. But remember for nearly twenty years Melbourne has been the race that many of the teams and drivers enjoy coming to to mark the beginning of the season. I completely understand if the Victorian gov decide to scrap because it is a financial loss each year. For our sake i hope it remains.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
To clarify, alienating the Australian audience would be a compelling argument, but it is smaller than many of the other markets, and the diminished tv coverage has already greatly reduced the sport's following downunder.