Why F1 is "right" to maintain push for 23-race plan

Max Verstappen met sterke start in sprintrace British GP — Photo: © LAT Images

Formula 1

Why F1 is "right" to maintain push for 23-race plan

The second half of the 2021 calendar could change drastically

Sam Hall

Tuesday 24 August 2021 09:30

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Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has backed F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali's decision to keep his promise of delivering a 23-race calendar this season.

For the second successive year, F1 is battling against the Covid-19 pandemic to complete a planned calendar of grands prix.

Last season, the schedule was shortened considerably, although F1 still managed to cram in 17 races from the beginning of July through to mid-December.

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This season, six races have so far been postponed or cancelled although the Turkish Grand Prix, which was initially added as the replacement for the Canadian GP before being axed itself, has since returned with an early October slot.

At present, there remain doubts over other races in the US, Mexico and Brazil.

Domenicali, though, has Steiner's full support in his determined bid for 23 races. He said: "I think Stefano's approaching it in the right way.

"We need to have 23 because the day you say 'We just need 20', at some stage maybe later on in the year, you're not in a position anymore to have the choice to have 20.

"You have faced difficulty with only 18 because you have already given up too much before.

"As long as you can keep on the plan for 23, and I think, at the moment, he is always trying to make a plan for 23."

Steiner feels that while avenues still exist for a 23-race calendar then they should be pursued up until a point when Domenicali simply runs out of time and options.

"If in the last months or two months where you cannot replace a race because you cannot react anymore, then you are faced with no other solution, then you can take that step," added Steiner.

"But at the moment, I think the right thing is done. We need 23 races. Whatever it takes, we're going to do 23 races. I think it's the right approach.

"Then if in the last two months, something comes in the way or the pandemic gets worse, and we need to cancel one, so be it. Then we still have 22. If we cancel two, we have 21.

"If you say 'Now, oh, we should be okay with 20,' and then something like I just said comes along, all of a sudden, you've got only 18. Then it's like, 'Oh, we worked so hard at the beginning of the season, and now everything has gone bad.'

"It's the right approach how they do it. I hope it will be successful because the more races we do, and at the moment we have got people watching it and revenues coming in, it's good for everybody."