Szafnauer agrees with Tost: 'Then you can put up with it'

F1 News

16 October 2021 at 15:51
Last update 16 October 2021 at 18:39
  • GPblog.com

On Friday, the 2022 Formula 1 calendar was presented. The calendar contains a record number of 23 Grands Prix. The team bosses are divided about the number of races, but Aston Martin team boss Otmar Szafnauer likes the full calendar.

Record-breaking calendar in 2022

With a number of returning Grands Prix such as Japan and Australia and the addition of Miami, the 2022 calendar will look considerably different to that of 2021. In addition, the calendar will have one more race than this year. Szafnauer says, just like AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost, that he is happy with the increasing calendar.

"Well, we have been looking at this for quite some time, knowing that this was going to happen. I agree with Franz: it’s nice that we have 23 countries or 23 races that want us to come and compete and showcase Formula 1," Szafnauer said according to FormulaRapida.net.

However, the Romanian American does think about the travelling people of all the teams and the organisation. "We have put operations in place both back at the factory and at the race track to make the travel as comfortable as possible for them, including sometime rotating people and some other organizational changes back at the factory."

Return of triple-headers

The 2022 calendar will also see the return of triple-headers. After the summer break, Formula 1 will visit Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy in succession before doing the second and heavier triple-header of Russia, Singapore and Japan.

Szafnauer says the triple-headers are more doable these days because of the experience the team has gained from previous triple-headers. Still, he would rather not see them on the calendar. "However, they still are very taxing on all of us." However, Szafnauer does know one advantage of the two triple-headers: "You can put up with a triple-header or two if you know you are not racing up until Christmas."