Verstappen lashes out against the 24GP: “Will we get to the driver turnover?”

The longest world championship ever

With 24 grand prix and 6 Sprints, Formula 1 is preparing to live there longest season in its entire history. It is no mystery that over the years Liberty Media's desire has been to add more and more races to the calendar, to better monetize the markets interested in the queen category of motor racing.

But behind the cars that go on the track there are men, drivers, engineers, mechanics and managers, who follow the Circus bandwagon around the world for nine months. Being perfect for 24 races requires a very high level of preparation and efficiency and it is no mystery that many teams are opting for a turnover among their ranks of employees on the track, something that has never happened in previous decades.

Verstappen is worried

In meetings with journalists on Wednesday from Bahrain, Max Verstappen has explained: “I have a feeling we're already over the edge. I know I'm still young, but I'm also very clear that I won't do 24 races for another 10 years. I love racing and I do it a lot, even outside of F1. But at a certain point you also look at the life quality and how often you are away so you can do the sport you love. It's not a problem at the moment, but I know it will be in a few years. We have to take this into account, because it would be crazy to have to lead to a turnover among the drivers. However, this is an issue in the hands of those responsible for F1 and what they want to do with this sport. But the drivers could end their careers early due to excessive commitments, and it would be a shame.”

Alonso joins in the complaints

Also the two-time world champion Fernando Alonso expressed his point of view, aligning himself with Verstappen: “I think we're way over the edge. When I started there were 16 races in the world championship, then they became 18 and when Liberty Media arrived they were raised to 20. Now we are at 24, a figure that is not sustainable for everyone. And if the world champion thinks the season is too long, imagine how the rest of us might think…“.