23 races is the “absolute limit” for F1 - Franz Tost

Tost caused a stir during the latter part of 2021 when he said that staff should leave the sport if they have a problem with F1’s record-breaking 23-race calendar.

Should no races be affected by COVID-19 in 2022, F1 will embark on its busiest season yet starting in Bahrain next month before finishing in Abu Dhabi in November.

In response to the growing F1 calendar, race weekends have been cut from four days to three, with media sessions now taking place on Friday morning with the two practice sessions happening later in the day.

F1 is wanting to add more races to the calendar with Qatar contracted to return next year, while bosses also want a third race in the United States with Las Vegas the likeliest destination.

While Tost isn’t concerned about the workload for team personnel, he’s worried that a larger F1 calendar could diminish the sport.

“Last year, we were lucky because the races were very interesting, there were always fights, but we can't expect that this will always be the case. So, for me, 23 races is the absolute

limit, not from the workload point of view, but because I am concerned that with such a high number of races, in the end, it could cause people to lose interest in Formula 1,” Tost said. 

“For me, the best number would be between 18 and 20 races because Formula 1 should be a premium product and we really should think about maybe reducing the number of races to keep it special. Personally, I am fine with 23 races or more, but this is not the question. The question is what's best for the future of Formula 1.”

The 2022 F1 season gets underway in Bahrain on March 18-20.