A more (eco)logical calendar: here’s what F1 could look like in 2024
Translation: The F1 is already working on developing a more logical and sustainable calendar in terms of the environment, as part of the championship's goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Three weekends of twiddling thumbs without F1 since the Australian Grand Prix before returning to Baku, then going directly to the other side of the world (Miami) before coming back to Europe for three races, and heading back to the American continent for the Canadian Grand Prix. This 2023 F1 calendar is anything but logical and sustainable for the environment. That’s why Stefano Domenicali hopes to create a better calendar for 2024, with races more geographically clustered together.
According to the Dutch media De Telegraaf, the Formula 1 would start in 2024 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, a rumor that was already circulating during the weekend in Jeddah this year, in mid-March. The 60 million dollars in fees offered by the organization would be a very convincing argument.
It is also being considered to group three races at the beginning of the season that are geographically very far apart, namely Australia, Japan and China. This would facilitate the transportation for the F1 teams. Suzuka, which has been hosting a race in the autumn for over 30 years, would agree to change its schedule and participate in this series of races at the beginning of the season.
As for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which currently opens the season, it would be rescheduled later in the year. However, this could have an impact on the official winter testing, which may no longer take place in Sakhir, as was the case in the past two years.
Spa soon to be replaced?
In the middle of the calendar would come the races in Europe, followed by the American continent (Austin, Las Vegas, and Brazil), before a final in Abu Dhabi (potentially with 100 million dollars on the line for the honor of closing the season).
Finally, as we mentioned a week ago, negotiations are continuing to see the return of the Grand Prix of South Africa to the 2024 calendar. However, there is no guarantee that the Kyalami circuit will be able to return as early as next year. And if that were the case, it could come at the expense of another Grand Prix, namely Spa-Francorchamps. But nothing is confirmed yet, so all of these assumptions should be taken with a grain of salt.
