Max Verstappen highlights F1 ‘tipping point’ and points out his own solution

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates victory at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen believes F1 can’t just “keep adding races” and that there is now too much racing taking place.

With 24 Grands Prix on the calendar, as well as six Sprint races, the F1 schedule for a season has never been so packed.

Max Verstappen: We’re racing a bit too much

With 24 weekends of 52 now given over to Grand Prix racing, a record-breaking number, the addition of six Sprint races means that the current field of 20 drivers take part in 30 races during the year.

This is before any qualifying sessions, practice, Sprint Qualifying, tyre testing, or official testing is taking into consideration.

With not much by way of downtime, reigning World Champion Max Verstappen – known for his overwhelming love of racing, even when not on duty – says there are now too many F1 races scheduled.

“Well, I think we are racing in general a bit too much,” he told Sky F1 in China, when asked about the number of Sprint races potentially increasing.

“Then maybe we have to do less races and do more Sprints!

“I mean, we can’t just keep on adding racing, racing racing, there is a tipping point as well.

“When people rock up on a Thursday or Friday, and then they’re here for the weekend and then they go back to the offices, it’s a different kind of perspective for us, and the mechanics especially.

“They are away from home much more than us. They’re under a lot of stress to prepare these cars every single time, especially on a Sprint weekend.

“If you pay attention to the curfews and stuff, I think some people don’t realize how stressful it is for all these people.”

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Verstappen’s comments come after F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali hinted more Sprint races could be coming after pointing out his disappointment with the lack of Friday track running in Japan as rain hit Suzuka during practice.

Domenicali spoke about the announcement of next year’s calendar, saying he had promised to try getting the schedule set in stone as early as possible.

“I think 24 is an optimal number with the events that we have so far,” Domenicali told Sky F1 over the weekend.

“The good news of this year, I took as a sort of responsibility from the teams and to the promoters, to everyone, [was] to announce the calendar much earlier than normally we do in order for everyone to be ready.

“And of course [it] has been another step in the direction or try to, we are regionalising the calendar. We cannot do it completely, but I think that we did the right step – so, very happy for that.”

But, when it comes to drivers feeling that the calendar is now too packed, Domenicali’s stance was firm.

“I speak with them. If you want to drive, you can drive every day. If you don’t want to drive in Formula 1, it’s not compulsory,” Domenicali stated.

“It’s a matter of respect of the fans. They want to see them racing and it’s something that we have, once again, the responsibility of all our fans, our partners, our promoters, our sponsors, our broadcasters, everyone.

“It’s the magic of the sport we live in is because we need heroes that need to enjoy what they’re doing. And I’m sure that they are enjoying [it].”