F1 News: Red Bull Team Chief Warns Sport Is Close To A "Breaking Point"

Christian Horner has warned that continuously expanding the sport will bring it to a breaking point.

The Formula 1 calendar has seen a significant expansion in recent years, and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner now expresses concerns about the current state of affairs. 

With a record-breaking 23 races scheduled for 2023, Horner believes the calendar may be reaching its breaking point. This year's lineup sets a new milestone in the history of the sport, surpassing all previous seasons in terms of race count. Notably, the Chinese Grand Prix was removed due to Covid-19 fears, or the number of races would have been even higher.

The extensive number of races takes a toll on the physical well-being of team members who spend the majority of the year travelling between tracks. Horner openly acknowledges his preference for a shorter calendar, aiming for around 18 races. However, he acknowledges the challenge of maintaining such brevity when there are numerous exciting destinations on the calendar.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Horner discussed his ideal number of races was 18 before explaining:

“The problem is, Stefano [Domenicali] turns up, and they play the same trick every year, and it’s like, ‘Oh, maybe we can’t go to Silverstone, or Monza’s looking a bit wobbly’, and so on.

"And so he says: ‘Well, look, we can’t lose Monaco, we can’t lose Monza, we can’t lose Silverstone’, and then he’ll say: ‘What about Las Vegas?’ Okay, alright, we’ll go to Vegas. ‘What about Miami?’ Yeah, alright. We’ll go there too. And you know, they just keep coming up with great venues and great races, and it’s difficult to say no.

“But you do reach a point where you wonder where you get saturation, and 23 is an insane amount of racing and mileage that we have to cover in a season. I think it’s better to have competition for the existing venues [rather] than just keep adding more and more because you do get to a breaking point, which I don’t feel we’re that far from.

“You get to a point where, you know, 23 Sundays a year for people to take two hours out of their Sunday afternoon or evening, it’s a big commitment to follow a whole season, and I think that’s enough.”

While acknowledging the allure of new locations, Horner also recognises the concept of saturation. He believes that there is a point at which the calendar becomes overwhelmed, and the current number of races—23—is already pushing the boundaries. 

The current Concorde Agreement, which remains in effect until 2025, sets the maximum number of races per season at 24. This limitation leaves little room for manoeuvrability when it comes to incorporating new tracks into the calendar. As Formula 1 grapples with the delicate task of accommodating the desires of teams, fans, and various stakeholders, the need to carefully manage the calendar becomes increasingly apparent.

Horner's concerns shed light on the ongoing discussions within Formula 1 regarding the expansion of the calendar. Balancing the excitement of new destinations with the potential strains on teams, fans, and the overall sustainability of the sport remains a challenge.