22 Grand Prix in 2020: the challenges for the teams

With the appearance of the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort and the Vietnam Grand Prix in Hanoi, and the disappearance of the German Grand Prix, the Formula 1 calendar will be condensed for the 2020 season. Liberty Media is, however, pleased to have added two new destinations to the calendar: « This is significant for our sport and confirms our long-term strategy. Since we got involved in this championship in 2017, we have talked about developing new destinations to broaden the horizons of Formula 1, while at the same time consolidating our presence in Europe, the traditional home of our sport. Consequently, we have the debut of Vietnam in its capital, Hanoi, one of the most exciting cities in the world with a rich history and an incredible future. And we also have the return of the historic Zandvoort circuit, near another vibrant city, Amsterdam, for the Dutch Grand Prix. » said Chase Carey, President of Formula 1.

However, with ever longer seasons, there will be physical and personal consequences for team members as they will spend more time away from home and their families. Max Verstappen remains skeptical about their ability to stay at the top of their game during 22 races. A Formula 1 season is very demanding for the staff and mainly the mechanics. The Dutch driver is concerned for them.

“I’m not okay with having 22 Grand Prix a year.” exclaims the Red Bull driver.

« I think we should only select the best circuits. I know they want to bring in money, but we also have to consider the mechanics who go to the circuits. They arrive on Monday or Tuesday to set everything up, while the big bosses arrive on Saturday or even Sunday morning and sometimes go home during the race. For them, it’s not a problem; they can easily attend 30, because they’re only away for three days. For most people, it’s at least five or six days, and I’m not complaining for us, it’s for the mechanics. They might as well file for divorce if there are even more races. » he concludes.

The teams will also have to face logistical constraints. Indeed, there will be 2 back-to-back Grand Prix weekends on 7 occasions during the season. The teams will have to repack their packages within a given time to transport the equipment and personnel to the next Grand Prix. The world of Formula 1 is accustomed to traveling from one circuit to another in a short amount of time, but this repetitive effort can take its toll on some staff members.

Some teams were critical when this new calendar was released, as it aligns with Liberty Media’s desire to increase the number of races to 25 in the coming years. During meetings, they requested a reduction in pre-season testing to offset the increasing human and financial resources this entails.

Another idea mentioned by Mercedes was to double its track team in order to have one team for the first part of the season and another team for the second part of the season. This would allow some staff to rest and, consequently, have a consistently high-performing track team.

Other current Formula 1 drivers share Max Verstappen’s point of view, such as Sergio Perez, the Racing Point driver: « We started when there were 19 Grand Prix. It’s a lot. As I said, for us drivers it’s a lot of work but for European races we can arrive on Thursday. I’m more concerned for the mechanics and engineers, I believe they are the ones who will be worried. I doubt they can have a social life at this level, so it’s very hard. There will be a moment when we will need to have two teams and split them, or something like that. »