Otmar Szafnauer urges permanent F1 spring break 'by design'

Alpine

Szafnauer urges permanent F1 spring break 'by design'

A break at the right time?

Sam Hall

Saturday 8 April 2023 11:30

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Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has suggested making the unofficial F1 spring break a permanent fixture on the calendar.

The cancellation of this year's Chinese Grand Prix saw a three-week break open up in the schedule between events in Australia and Azerbaijan.

In a regular season, the only time there is such a margin between races is in August, when teams are required to shut down entirely for two weeks in order to give personnel some time to rest.

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“I think this break, although not planned, in a calendar that has 23 races and a lot of back-to-backs and triple-headers, it’s nice to have a three-week break now, a three-week break in August and then a break at Christmas," said Szafnauer.

“Maybe, if it is just by luck that we gain the knowledge that it is good to do it this way, maybe it should be by design in the future."

A break at the right time

Accepting that, for fans of the sport, the season is only in its infancy, this is not the case for those working within the teams with the hard graft starting long before the cars hit the track for pre-season testing in February.

“I know the season has just started, but it’s not just about the start of the season, a lot of people have worked hard over the winter preparing the car for testing and then the races," Szafnauer added.

“Now, to have a bit of a break, it just helps you with what is coming up and then, in August, you have another break. It might be a way forward.”

After Alpine's Australian Grand Prix ended in a collision between drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, when asked how the team will spend the break, Szafnauer quipped: “Some time off, some busy at work making car parts."