The Formula One (F1) calendar has been a hot topic of discussion in recent months, especially after its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stefano Domenicali, in an interview with Motorsport.com, revealed that Rwanda had become a “serious” option to host a Grand Prix in the near future. While Domenicali, as reported by Pit Debrief, confirmed that there would not be any major changes for the 2025 season, with the calendar having already been set, he expressed that F1 would need to consider its options before confirming the calendar for the 2026 season onward. While the F1 CEO stopped short of stating whether additional races would be added to the calendar, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed that this would not be the case.
While speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Ben Sulayem insisted that the FIA could not support a 25-race F1 calendar, despite current agreements allowing for this. He described the current 24 races as being “the right number” and expressed that F1 should work toward keeping this number stable for the foreseeable future.
“I think 24 is the right number.
“I would say this is the number which we should target to be stable for a long time.”
Ben Sulayem identified one major issue in expanding the calendar as the strain that additional races would place on available resources, especially human resources. While he highlighted the FIA’s inability to support 25 or more races with only a single team of personnel, he also expressed concern over the impact that additional races would have on drivers’ and team personnel’s physical and mental well-being.
“You cross a barrier where you need two teams, we can’t have [more]. Logically, then I have to have two teams.
“Can the drivers take it? I just want to know. Let’s just be sensible and logical about it. Can the drivers take it physically and mentally? This is a question I will ask the drivers. And what about the teams?
“As for the FIA, we cannot do it with this one team. We have to have a rotation of two teams, when it comes to the staff on the ground.”
However, Ben Sulayem described the F1 Management as “sensible” and acknowledged, that they had not asked for additional races to be added to the calendar, despite it being their right. He stated that F1 had prioritised the quality of the sport, and it was for this reason that the FIA maintained a good relationship with them.
“They never came back and said: ‘Oh, we need more.’ No way they did. What they are after is quality and that’s why we have this good relationship with them.
“I mean, I will not stop [them] to go to 25, because it is their right, OK? [In the end] it’s up to them.
The FIA president added that it was the F1 Management who had decided not to expand the calendar, claiming that they were aware of the additional burden that would be placed on associated personnel.
“But they are the ones who don’t want to add [more races at the moment]. Because they know that it becomes [a matter] of fatigue then. So they have their own reasons [for keeping the amount of races on 24].”
