F1 News: Sergio Perez Blasts 2024 Formula 1 Season - "It’s Too Many Races"
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez expresses significant apprehensions regarding the impending 2024 Formula 1 season, which features the highest number of Grands Prix in F1 history. With the limit set at 24 races, the Mexican driver is cautious about a demanding calendar that necessitates maintaining high energy levels throughout.
Key Takeaways:
- Red Bull driver Sergio Perez expresses concerns about the demanding 2024 F1 season with a record-breaking 24 Grands Prix, emphasizing the need to manage energy levels effectively.
- Perez suggests that F1 should prioritize quality over quantity, stating that 20 races would be ideal for maintaining the sport's overall quality.
- With the intense calendar, Perez disagrees with extending testing days, asserting that the current 24-race schedule leaves little time for additional testing.
The record-breaking 24 races in Formula 1 this year would be a big deal for not only drivers but also for all team members of the ten F1 teams. It was witnessed last year how the health of several personnel suffered toward the end of the 22-race season.
Hence, Perez stresses the importance of F1 prioritizing quality over quantity, suggesting that an ideal number of races in a year should be 20. Speaking at the launch of Red Bull's 2024 title contender, the RB20, he said:
“It’s too many. We know that it’s too many races.
“It’s gonna be a brutal calendar for all of us involved in the sport.
“That’s why it’s important that we are able to manage our energy levels as best as possible.
“I think 20 races would be great, with keeping up the quality instead of quantity.
“But that’s not for me to decide [All in Mexico], that’d be great!”
Perez also added that with the calendar being brutal already, there isn't enough time available for testing, which opposes Fernando Alonso's view that the number of testing days should be extended to four, ensuring an equal distribution of days between a team's two race drivers in two different cars. He added:
“There’s no time!
“We have 24 races, so I think the calendar is already brutal. There’s no time for testing.”
On February 21, on-track activities commence in Bahrain, spanning a three-day pre-testing period. This marks a departure from the conventional eight days of pre-season testing witnessed until approximately five years ago. Some F1 experts have questioned whether the current timeframe is adequate for testing.