Max Verstappen, in anticipation of the final part of the 2024 championship that will see drivers facing two triple-header races in the next eight weeks, has urged Formula 1 to make some changes to future calendars to reduce and better manage travel and jet lag due to back-to-back races in different time zones around the globe.
This year, Formula 1 will host 24 races, and the issue of fatigue among drivers and mechanics has been a constant concern throughout the season. F1 has already taken steps in this direction to assist those working in the paddock by grouping events based on their geographical location. For this reason, the Japanese Grand Prix was held in April, while the Azerbaijan Grand Prix took place in September.
However, despite the positive steps taken, drivers and other members of the paddock hope that more will be done in the future to alleviate the pressure of consecutive triple-header races, especially when crossing different time zones. Below are Max Max Verstappen’s words.
Max Verstappen’s opinion
As reported by racingnews365, Max Verstappen stated: “I’ve always said that there are really too many races on the calendar. For me, it’s mostly a travel issue with all the time zone changes we face. The flight from Las Vegas to Qatar is almost on the other side of the world, and I think we could do a better job if we did triple-headers with countries that are closer together. I think that would make more sense.” – the three-time Formula 1 world champion pointed out.
The Dutch driver added: “This is probably something we need to consider. If we have to do so many races, at least let’s make sure they are geographically closer to each other.”
“The flight from Las Vegas to Qatar is long, although, of course, once you’re there, it makes sense to go to Abu Dhabi, which is fine. For me, it’s not a problem, but at the end of the season, when you’re a bit tired, it’s easier to get sick, and flying for a long time doesn’t help.” – he added.
The thoughts of the three-time world champion from the Netherlands were also supported by Lance Stroll, who added on the topic: “I think we could probably do a better job, as Max said, by connecting races geographically, so we could do Asia, then America, and then the Middle East.”
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