F1 must do a “better job” arranging end-of-season races – Verstappen

29 comments on “F1 must do a “better job” arranging end-of-season races – Verstappen”

1. 

   Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
   26th September 2024, 0:35

   The bigger issue I have with the races at the end of the year is more how it’s loaded with some of the worst circuits on the calender.

   Once F1 leaves Europe after Monza of the 8 remaining races i’d argue that only 2 of them are on circuits that are actually fun to watch.

   And equally as bad (If not worse) only 3 are venues which have any sort of atmosphere from packed stands full of passionate fans, Those been Interlagos, Mexico & COTA to a slightly lesser degree.

   With as many races as we have now i often start to feel a bit burnt out by the final couple races and i think maybe at least part of that is down to simply not been especially interested or excited about most of the circuits towards the end. Just not anything to really look that forward to aside from COTA & Interlagos, The rest of the circuits I don’t really look forward to watching at all.

   It’s just a shame that we have all these great venues early in the year and then the season ends on a bit of a whimper on mostly uninspiring circuits that lack atmosphere. Just makes the end of the season fall really flat which is a shame.
   1. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      26th September 2024, 7:35

      I personally find Baku, Singapore, Las Vegas, & Losail, especially the latter two, enjoyable to watch & drive virtually, for that matter.
      Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is also somewhat decent apart from the Foro Sol section, & Yas Marina Circuit has been more enjoyable since 2021 than it used to be.
      Additionally, I don’t necessarily feel burnt out towards the end of seasons since I’m not travelling to GPs, but I fully see what you mean by everything you mentioned.
2. 

   Johns
   26th September 2024, 4:57

   The calendar is proposed and published for comments by the team’s officers. The teams should work to change it before it is finalized. But I agree it is messed up. But with these rich countries vying to be the “title decider” it is up to the teams to push back before it is finalized.
3. 

   Sumedh
   26th September 2024, 7:08

   I agree with Max. This 4 week break followed by 2 sets of triple headers with a 3 week gap between the triple-headers is just weird.

   Personally, I prefer a double header, 1 week gap, double header, 1 week gap and so on.. as an acceptable racing calendar. You are getting races on 66% of the weekends (minus the large breaks) and drivers and teams get a little bit of break after every double header.

   I certainly don’t want to go back to the 16 race or 20 race calendars.
   1. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      26th September 2024, 7:29

      Fortunately, this summer break length interval at this time of year, as well as the week-shorter one in November are both only a one-off thing each, with next season’s equivalent phase being more condensed as usual.
      1. 

         notagrumpyfan
         26th September 2024, 8:21

         Fortunately, this summer break length interval at this time of year, as well as the week-shorter one in November are both only a one-off thing each,

         And there were another couple of 3-week breaks over the past two seasons.
         It seems that the ‘one-off thing’ is becoming something regular :p
         1. 

            Jere (@jerejj)
            26th September 2024, 9:17

            2021 & last season both had a summer break length interval in the early-season phase because of certain cancellations, so they were simply forced ones, as was the 3-week one between Monza & Singapore in 2022 because of Russian GP getting dropped altogether, so definitely not becoming a regular thing.
            1. 

               notagrumpyfan
               26th September 2024, 9:47

               so definitely not becoming a regular thing.

               How many trees makes a forest?
         2. 

            Craig
            26th September 2024, 9:18

            It’s how you make it “normal”, putting in a ‘one-off-thing’ and then just keep doing it until it’s accepted as normal
            1. 

               Jere (@jerejj)
               26th September 2024, 16:10

               Craig, well next season both the Azerbaijan & Singapore GPs will be standalone events with a single non-GP weekend between them, with the Singapore-COTA interval also featuring a single such weekend, so even though this particular four-week gap was planned from the get-go rather than caused by any cancellation, it’s still only equally temporary.
               Likewise, the Sao Paulo GP being standalone next season means no 3-week gap between the US & Abu Dhabi GPs.
4. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   26th September 2024, 7:27

   At least, next season the Sao Paulo GP will be a standalone event, although it could’ve & should’ve been chosen that way for this season already.
   However, LV forming a triple-header (or even a double, for that matter) with any Middle East locations shouldn’t happen at all.
   Even if triple-headers don’t go away altogether, their total amount should be minimized as much as realistically possible, & only pair locations for such a combo from the same continent or thereabouts, such as Australia-China-Japan instead of Japan-two Middle East locations, albeit COTA-Mexico City-Sao Paulo is already similar to the former geographic-wise, but Americas & Asian locations together is unnecessarily excessive even in double-header form.
   He wrongly mentioned ticket sales, which as such don’t have anything to do with LV-Middle East combos, albeit if F1 bothered to stop being hell-bent on holding the LV GP on the week before Thanksgiving, they’d have a bit more flexibility, as nothing definitively prevents holding it at all other times of year, especially other November phases.

   Maloney’s FE switch clearly means he’s already been told that he isn’t going to receive a full-time drive at Team Hinwil, hence this career move.
   1. 

      notagrumpyfan
      26th September 2024, 8:27

      only pair locations for such a combo from the same continent or thereabouts, such as Australia-China-Japan instead of Japan-two Middle East locations

      Yet the second triplet have a shorter total flying distance and ARE on the same continent.
      1. 

         Jere (@jerejj)
         26th September 2024, 9:19

         Shanghai-Suzuka interval is far shorter than Suzuka-Bahrain, though, so while Japan & Middle East locations may be in the same continent together, an Australia-China-Japan triple would still be more ideal overall travel-wise.
         1. 

            notagrumpyfan
            26th September 2024, 9:41

            Shanghai-Suzuka interval is far shorter than Suzuka-Bahrain

            Check ‘total flying distance’ as mentioned in my response.
            You might have missed the the Australia-China leg ;) This is shorter (not by much) than from Suzuka to the Bahrain and the ones without a private jet can book a direct flight.

            The only advantage of your proposed intercontinental triplet is that there are less time zones to cross, and if travelling close to the equinox little difference in daytime length.
            1. 

               Jere (@jerejj)
               26th September 2024, 16:17

               I get that the Melbourne-Shanghai & Suzuka-Bahrain interval distances don’t differ a lot & I also get every aspect you mean, but with Shanghai & Suzuka relatively close to each other geographically, having the Chinese & Japanese GPs on consecutive weekends together rather than a single non-GP weekend between them would be better regardless of surrounding rounds, but anyway, I totally get what you mean by everything & thus I can ultimately agree with you.
5. 

   MichaelN
   26th September 2024, 8:44

   Regarding the COTD, Schumacher’s race in Brazil 2006 was epic. And one can only imagine the drama if a teammate caused a rival’s puncture in the title deciding race in today’s media landscape.

   His move on Räikkönen was also great, to both their credit.
   1. 

      Tommy Scragend
      26th September 2024, 13:15

      Especially as Räikkönen had a nice light car ;-)

      Also regarding the COTD – unfortunate typo. Schumacher’s comeback was in 2010, most definitely not in 2020.
6. 

   T
   26th September 2024, 12:15

   Question: Can an INDYCAR charter be sold?

   Answer: A team will have the right to sell a charter to an entity interested in joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The sale price and agreement are independently established by the chartered team, but the sale must be approved by INDYCAR.

   So an owner can want to and agree to sell and have a willing buyer and Penske reserves the right to say no (because it might devalue his own charter AND his ownership of IndyCar)

   interesting, very very interesting
7. 

   Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
   26th September 2024, 13:49

   But again, of course, it depends on ticket sales.

   Do any of these three sell out? And even if Vegas does, isn’t that because there are so few tickets in the first place?
8. 

   Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
   26th September 2024, 14:26

   It may come as no surprise but I just feel there are too many races in general. Quite a common opinion I think but I know not everyone share’s it.

   I mean there are races at places like Losail. Last year Max dominated the race. It was one of the most boring races I have ever seen in nearly 40 years watching this sport. A terrible circuit for F1. I think the jury is out on Las Vegas but it would be better if they just stopped in Brazil in my opinion, a great circuit.

   The second half of the race calendar this year is planned terribly. Two long gaps for no reason. Looking at 2025 things do seem to be worked out much better. So that’s good at least.
   1. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      26th September 2024, 16:21

      I’m perfectly okay with 24 rounds & I find the Losail circuit enjoyable to drive, given its flowing nature, more than quite a few so-called classics to be honest.
      I also quickly started to like the Las Vegas street circuit, but I agree on these two lengthy gaps that were totally avoidable for this year already, but not having these next year is indeed good, although July will instead have a 3-week gap between the British & Belgian GPs.
      1. 

         Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
         26th September 2024, 18:28

         Well 2025 is better than 2024 calendar wise. There’s usually at least one date allocation that seems odd.

         I have looked again at the result of Losail, 2023. The smallest gap between any of the drivers was 2nd and 3rd which were only separated by 1.1. seconds. There seems to have been at least a 4 second gap between everyone else in the top 10. So there was nothing very competitive/exciting about it. It just seemed very dull last year and to watch I did not like all the zig-zagging which it seems to entail. Then of course several of the drivers were ill afterwards because of heat exhaustion. It can only improve this year (one hopes).
   2. 

      Nick T.
      26th September 2024, 22:25

      I don’t mind it, but I also would mind 5 less either, especially if there are fewer long breaks during the seasons. I wish there was a double header followed by a week break and we got the whole season over much quicker.
9. 

   Nick T.
   26th September 2024, 15:32

   I know, with literally 11 articles about the FLAP and Lewis’ strategy since Singapore, RF hasn’t had time to talk about it, but I think a more important thing may have happened there: the end of Bottas’ career (in addition to DR).

   I believe they were set to extend Bottas another season, but two things happened:

   -There’s been a lot of backlash from media & fans around the news Audi will keep Bottas. People are calling it a dull + uninspiring move. Hard to argue with that.

   -However, I think that just may have sewed a seed of doubt in their minds that blossomed in Singapore where they saw a kid w/no experience beat Albon, a driver they were recently trying to sign. At the same time, they saw their “safe pair of hands,” Bottas, get beat by Zhou.

   There’s only gloom and disappointment surrounding the Audi F1 project. From both a marketing and team morale aspect, they need to sign someone with exciting potential like Colapinto, Bortoleto or even Pourchaire. Hopefully, they won’t just sign Bottas to avoid having to look Theo in the eyes and tell him they’re signing a rookie, but it’s not him if they don’t want him.
   1. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      26th September 2024, 16:22

      Bottas may have been out-performed by Zhou in both Azerbaijan & Singapore races, but normal service will probably resume for the remaining rounds.
      1. 

         Nick T.
         26th September 2024, 17:25

         Yeah. But he’s still not worth keeping.
10. 

    PeterG
    26th September 2024, 16:35

    I’m not sure that this Indycar charter thing basically turning the series into a closed shop is a good thing because it’s shutting out new teams from coming in outside of Indy.

    Just in the past few years we have seen new teams in Juncos & Meyer Shank come in to do Indy, Then expand to entering a few other races before committing to full time entries. Where’s the incentive for new teams to come & do that now if outside of Indy they won’t have a spot in the grid even if they are able to out qualify existing entries if the field if full.

    It should be an open shop, Teams should be encouraged & allowed to try & compete and if the grid is full & they do a better job than a full time entry then they should be allowed to race rather than be sent home in favour of a team/driver that didn’t make the field on merit.

    No team’s spot on any starting grid should be guaranteed, It should be earned based on pace that weekend.

    But then we know that Motor Racing is no longer a true sport thats about open competition. It’s about a show that guarantee’s the few will be locked in while closing off the opportunities for others to compete & potentially do a better job.

    It reminds me of CART in 1989/90 where the top teams locked in the advantage they had from Chevrolet engines by preventing them from been made available to anyone else & that was one of the things which began the cogs moving towards the CART/IRL split. And in 1996 one of the things that cemented the split was the IRL locking in 25 of the spots for it’s own entries for the 500 & only opening up 8 for any CART teams who wanted to come over.

    How can Andretti or any other teams from Indycar now complain about been prevented an entry on the F1 grid when they are basically going down the same path just in a different way.
11. 

    Asd
    26th September 2024, 17:49

    1. Alexander Rossi to Carpenter
    Rossi has shown he simply overachieved in his 3rd and 4th Indycar seasons where he came 2nd and 3rd in WDC with 5 wins total. That was a long time ago in 2018 and 2019. I’m glad McLaren ditched him.

    2. IndyCar charter system
    David Land (IndyCar’s no. 1 YouTuber) discussed this topic thogoughly in one of his recent videos.

    3. Jamie Chadwick in the Andretti Indycar cockpit
    I don’t know how good a racing driver she is, but the girl is very intelligent, eloquent and I really enjoyed her in the recent F1 Singapore GP broadcast.
    Also, that photograph shows in IndyCar with a removed aero-screen, which is quite interesting.
12. 

    Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
    26th September 2024, 19:21

    Guenther Steiner has been involved in F1 since 2001, in three separate stints that totalled 13 years in the series (as opposed to preparing for F1, which he spent another 23 months doing). For an “unfiltered” book, merely stating Guenther had been in F1 for a decade is surprisingly understated. (The part where there was about one swear per page on the previous volume also suggests there will be little filtering to do, at least in the sense that appears to interest the FIA right now. Unless this is Guenther’s attempt to give the FIA something of substance about which to worry?)

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