The Formula 1 now includes 24 races per season, and the debate about the burden on teams, staff, and fans continues to flare up. However, Williams team boss James Vowles has a clear solution: scrap Friday and make each weekend a two-day event. ‘We could then even do more races, without extra burden,’ the Brit suggests.
During the Grand Prix weekend in Baku, Vowles spoke out about the growing number of races and the structure of the current F1 weekend. “There was something interesting that Formula 1 recently brought out,” the Williams team boss said. “The question was whether we should make races shorter or introduce more sprint races. I would say: no.” For Vowles, the solution is not in shortening races or adding more sprints, but in making the weekend more compact. “I would opt for two-day weekends, just Saturday and Sunday,” he suggests. “And here’s why: we can do more in that time.”
Less Days, More Races
Although Vowles emphasizes that 24 races are about the maximum, he sees room for more events – provided Friday is scrapped. “I know I just said that 24 is the maximum, but if you drop Friday, that’s one day per weekend that falls away,” he explains. “Do that 24 times, then you get 24 days per year. Then you could add two more race weekends.” In other words: a season with 26 races is feasible according to Vowles, as long as the current weekend format is adjusted.
Not only does the schedule become more efficient, but according to the Williams team boss, the sport itself also becomes more exciting. Less training time means more surprises, says Vowles. “I think the product will improve, as we currently do a lot of free practice. As an engineer, that’s great – deep down, I love experimenting,” Vowles explains. “But if you force us and say: you have one hour before the qualification begins – then that’s a whole different story. I think this will lead to more variation and unpredictability.”
