McLaren boss Ron Dennis has stated that whilst he welcomes the expansion of F1, he hopes that the F1 calendar does not go beyond 20 races per season.
“I welcome this expansion and heartily commend Bernie Ecclestone for spearheading it,†Dennis said in a speech to delegates at the Motor Sport Business Forum in Bahrain. “But I have two proviso firstly that the season never expands to more than 20 grand prix, which I regard as a natural logistical limit, and secondly that we preserve a closed season over the winter.
“The closed season is essential not only for logistical reasons but also in order to stir up a sense of anticipation in the hearts and minds of F1 fans. The best selling editions of Formula 1 magazines are always the season preview editions, for example, not the editions that are published during the season and that s because a sense of anticipation has been stirred up in the hearts and minds of F1 fans over the preceding winter. So, as I say, we must preserve that.â€
Christian Horner of Red Bull agrees with Dennis. “Twenty is a big number but it is a sensible number,†he explained. “It is a huge logistical challenge but the way the teams are working with each other to self-regulate testing, it is possible.â€
