McLaren claim five races lagging behind "spectacular" majority

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McLaren claim five races lagging behind "spectacular" majority

CEO Zak Brown has again called for rotation of events

Ian Parkes

Tuesday 17 May 2022 17:05

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes F1 can currently claim to have 18 "spectacular" grands prix but there are five that do not come up to scratch.

The recent Miami Grand Prix, while potentially lacking to a degree in terms of the on-track action but with improvements to be made from next year, delivered in style off it with an array of entertainment and events over the course of the week.

The relative success of the Miami GP has put races such as Monaco in the spotlight and whether it can continue to be perceived as the 'crown jewel' of the sport.

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Addressing the issue, Brown said: "There are a lot of great events on the Formula 1 calendar now - Singapore, Miami, Silverstone.

"They all have different brands and how they put on events because what works in America is different to the UK and Singapore etcetera.

“So I think we’re fortunate that we have 23 fantastic grands prix, probably 18 that are spectacular, five that need to be worked on.

“Monaco is definitely a crown jewel. It has been around for a super-long time. They have always had a very favourable commercial deal.

"I think what Formula 1 is looking to do is to get them more in line, understanding and respecting what they bring to the table, but also to catch up to where the commercial realities of Formula 1 are today.”

Brown calls for F1 to follow Olympics and World Cup rotation

Although Brown did not name the five races he feels need to improve, a glance at the calendar and it is not too difficult to determine the events he may be referring to, with the likes of Imola, France, Hungary, Belgium and Brazil potentially in the mix.

As to the survival chances of those races, particularly with Miami and Las Vegas now on board, Brown believes there is an option that would prove beneficial.

Revisiting an idea he has aired before, Brown added: “Stefano [F1 CEO Domenicali] has said he has got demand for up to 30 grands prix which we obviously wouldn’t be able to do.

“Were it the maximum number of grands prix [24 under the Concorde Agreement], we are in favour of trying to accommodate as many great countries and cities that want to host grands prix but also looking to go to some sort of rotational system.

“So you’re running 20 to 23 races a year but maybe you have 28 markets and so you have 16-17 core races and 10 that rotate every two years.

“The Olympics and the World Cup are every four, so an every-other-year scenario for some grands prix would maintain the levels of interest in them and would allow us to expand the markets we’re in without expanding the race calendar itself.

“We all believe we’re at capacity.”