Formula One’s arrangement with the teams – under the current Concorde Agreement – limits the number of F1 races in a single season to 24. This year there are 23 races scheduled.
However, the agreement is due to expire in 2025 after which there could be a slew of races added to the calendar – including a South African GP.
The idea of an expanded calendar has been endorsed by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who has hinted that the calendar could include as many as 30 races in future.
Although the news has been generally applauded by fans, it has not resonated well with some drivers. For instance, Red Bull's Sergio Perez (pictured) has threatened to quit the sport. He points to a yet-to-be-defined number of races which would represent his “red line”.
On the GPfans.com website, Perez is reported to have said that “there is a breaking point for all involved, and [mine] is close to being reached”.
One wonders what the late Stirling Moss would have made of Sergio’s remarks, having competed in 529 races – and driven 84 different makes of car, from sports cars to single-seaters – in his career. He regularly entered more than 60 races in a season.
Double world champion Jim Clark demonstrated fantastic versatility. In1965 (his second F1 championship-winning season) he raced in 35 events around the world winning the Tasman Championship in Australia and New Zealand, both French and British Formula Two championships and the prestigious Indy500. He also managed third place in the British Saloon Car championship (which he had won in ’64).
Photocredit: Getty Images
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