Renault call for 15-race calendar gamble

Formula 1 teams are losing "energy" and "enthusiasm" as the race calendar grows and grows, according to Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul, who has suggested radically cutting down the number of grands prix in a year to 15 in order to bolster the sport's reputation.

The calendar is back to the record number of 21 races this season, as previously seen in 2016, but the schedule could expand once again next year with the proposed inclusion of the Miami Grand Prix.

Liberty Media chief Chase Carey has previously suggested that the calendar could swell up to 25 races, although such talk has been quelled in recent months and it is estimated that Liberty's target is around 23 races per year.

However, with some teams and fans lamenting burnout during F1's first triple header across the French, Austrian and British Grands Prix, Abiteboul says Liberty should change their approach.

He told Motorsport: "We need to be able to engage with fans but is has to remain something special. We are already way above what should be the figure for something special.

"We need to convey a message of pride, of motivation, of energy. With the calendar that we have now, the enthusiasm is not the same as when we were only traveling 15 times per year.

"If we don't have that energy, it is going to be very difficult to convey that externally.

"It is almost becoming routine. It should not be a day-to-day job. We've tipped that balance, so we need to be extremely careful.

"I appreciate the reason why, commercially we need to grow the calendar, but as far as I'm concerned, I would be for a massive contraction of the sport.

"I understand it would be a gamble, that it is not something within the current set-up of Formula 1, that acquires more money every year, more people, more tracks, more prize-fund, more of everything.

"But at some point there will be a crunch time and maybe we will see if we can switch the balance."