Jacques Villeneuve denounces a “brutal” schedule for Formula 1 personnel

In 2023, the calendar included 22 races, a record in the history of F1. This year will be marked by even more Grand Prix races, with 24 races on Sundays, in addition to six Sprints.

Three races will take place over three weeks from October 20 to November 3, with the Grand Prix in Austin, Mexico, and Brazil. Qatar and Abu Dhabi will be the last two races of the season. They will be held on two consecutive weeks on December 1st and 8th, 2024.

It takes time and it’s a bit rough.

While the F1 calendar is set to break the record for the number of races in a season, former world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes that this number of Grand Prix in a season will be brutal for the F1 staff.

« Already, the double-header at the end of the 2023 season, coming back from Vegas, which is not an easy airport to leave, so to arrive here… It’s good for a big team because they can rent a big plane, put all the mechanics on it and fly. But it’s really tough for the media. I think they’re the ones left behind in everything that’s going on. The cost of everything is increasing, hotels, travel, these trips have become very, very complicated », Jacques Villeneuve worries in an interview with PlanetF1.

Yes, teams find ways to travel. Staff rotations can work, but it’s difficult for the personnel. The time zone is in the wrong direction because you lose time instead of gaining it. It’s very hectic to set everything up, to set up the teams, the catering, etc. It takes time and it’s a bit tough, details the 1997 world champion.

« The new people who are arriving in this sport know what they are getting into.

Having three in a row, even though Qatar isn’t far from here, will be very tiring, especially towards the end of the year as the season ends in December. It’s also difficult for the mechanics, not just the pilots. If you look at the days when there were tests, there were fewer races but a lot of testing, explains the Canadian.

The mileage and number of track days for the driver were more significant back then, but there were two teams, a testing team and the racing team. So, the mechanics had time to go home and so on. It has become brutal for the mechanics, as the former Williams driver compared.

The new people coming into the sport know what they’re getting into. It’s those who were there when there were 17 races and got displaced that are somewhat inhibiting their choices. But the sport has never been more important. So, you can’t complain. Nobody wants to go back to a smaller sport, Jacques Villeneuve claims.