Vettel: Too many races could stop F1 being "special"
Formula 1 risks losing valuable staff as well as stopping grands prix being ‘special’ events if the calendar continues expanding, warns Sebastian Vettel.


Read Also:
The confirmation on Friday of F1’s 2022 schedule means the series is heading for its biggest ever season next year with 23 races crammed in between the middle of March and the middle of November.
The stresses and strains that the schedule is putting on staff has already been highlighted by several teams, but outfits have duly approved F1’s plans for 2022.
But for Vettel, who arrived in F1 in an era where there were fewer races but more tests, thinks there is a downside to the sport adding on more and more to the schedule.
“This is only my opinion, and it's not worth anything, but I think we should not have that many races,” said Vettel, in an interview with selected media including Autosport.
“It’s for a number of reasons. I think one, maybe it's too many races for the people to watch. It's not special any more, if there's that many.
“And second, I feel for [the staff]. Us drivers, we are at the good side of things: we can arrive on a Wednesday night and leave if we find a flight etcetera on a Sunday night.
“But the team already has a lot more stress. They arrived Monday or Saturday the week before, they build the garage, prepare the cars, and then also they have to run the full week and then pack down, send everything back, and prepare back in the factory.

Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari SF21, Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin AMR21, Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C41, and other drivers line up for practice starts at the end of practice
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
“For them, it's a job that you're busy all weekdays and nearly every weekend, so you have no time for yourself.
"And I think we are in a time where people are growing more and more conscious that they have a life too, and that the life doesn't belong to the employer.”
Read Also:
The swelling F1 calendar, allied to the inclusion of the much-hated triple headers, has already led to some staff electing to go for factory jobs or move away from grand prix racing completely.
Vettel thinks it would be an error for F1 to find itself burning staff out simply in the quest for more races.
“I'm not in charge and obviously there's some other interests, but it’s just making sure that people have a balance between their life at home and the time spent away," he explained.
“I think it should be a number of races that is sustainable for keeping your passion for many years and not being, you know, sucked out after two or three years.”
Related video

Ricciardo to demo Earnhardt NASCAR Cup car at US GP
The Schumacher Monaco conundrum that complicates F1 pole debate

Latest news
Daytona 24: Westbrook’s Ganassi Cadillac tops second practice
Richard Westbrook ensured Cadillac’s new V-LMDh snagged top spot in second practice for the Daytona 24 Hours, ahead of the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura.
Auer suffers back injury in Daytona 24 practice shunt
Mercedes driver Lucas Auer has suffered a back injury and been taken to hospital following a violent crash in opening practice for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
Daytona 24: WTR Acura tops heavily interrupted FP1
Five red flags disrupted the first practice session for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours, while Filipe Albuquerque put the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura on top.
Pedrosa to make KTM MotoGP wildcard outing in Spanish GP
Dani Pedrosa will make his first MotoGP race start since the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix with a wildcard entry for KTM at this year’s Spanish GP in April.
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Why the new Williams boss shouldn’t avoid ‘Mercedes B-team’ comparisons
OPINION: Williams has moved to replace the departed Jost Capito by appointing former Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles as its new team principal. But while he has sought to play down the idea of moulding his new squad into a vision of his old one, some overlap is only to be expected and perhaps shouldn't be shied away from
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.