F1 urged to consider calendar rethink to ease triple-header 'stress'

Haas

F1 urged to consider calendar rethink to ease triple-header 'stress'

Three more triple headers are slated for after the summer break

Ewan Gale

Thursday 8 July 2021 14:45

Guenther Steiner has urged F1 to schedule more double-headers and reduce the number of triple-headers in order to manage the welfare of team personnel.

The first of four scheduled triple-headers has just been completed, with the French Grand Prix followed by two races in Austria.

After the summer break, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy make up one batch of races, as do Russia, Turkey and Japan and then the USA, Mexico and Brazil.

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This is despite concerns raised last season when triple headers were scheduled in order to complete a season condensed due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asked how much his Haas mechanics were looking forward to the future triple-headers, Steiner replied: "Not really I must admit. We actually discussed that another three are coming.

"After the summer break, it will be tough but we just need to keep our heads down and keep on going. The end of the season, we will say it was tough for everybody but hopefully everybody gets through and will be doing a job.

"At the moment we keep on talking because of Corona [Covid-19] and the calendar is changing.

"I wouldn't say there aren't reasons why it is this year but we need to try to not have triple-headers. I think more double-headers are better than one triple-header.

"It is better to have consistent double-headers than four triple-headers in a season because triple-headers, people are away a month before they get back home and in that month, they do three races which is also pretty stressful.

"So I am sure we will look into it but at the moment with this Covid situation... because one of these triple-headers was thrown in because the calendar is still a moving target."

Flyaway triple-headers will be "a lot tougher"

The recent triple-header in France and Austria was at least manageable given the proximity of the countries and that two of those were in the same venue.

Steiner is concerned about the planned triple-headers in the flyaway locations which he feels will provide an added complication.

Steiner added: "It will be tougher. That one will be a lot tougher because you have got the time zone changes as well and obviously the jet lag that goes with it.

"Like [the Monday in between both Austria races], everybody had the day off. I gave everybody the day off and they could do some activities because it is very good.

"But if you fly from one country to another one, your day off is spent on an aeroplane."