58 replies to this topic

[HoldenRT]

Who thinks this stuff up? What's the point of that?

I can understand a month off but what's the point of having 3 weeks gap, for the race BEFORE the break.

Two and a half weeks.. and then Hungary, and then another month until Spa.

I find it very odd. And other sports don't do this. It's not even about whether or not you're busy or not.. or if there are other things to watch or not. That's not the point.

Edited by HoldenRT, 11 July 2013 - 16:39.

[jimjimjeroo]

Who thinks this stuff up? What's the point of that?

I can understand a month off but what's the point of having 3 weeks gap, for the race BEFORE the break.

Two and a half weeks.. and then Hungary, and then another month until Spa.

I find it very odd. And other sports don't do this. It's not even about whether or not you're busy or not.. or if there are other things to watch or not. That's not the point.

I think most other sports have a bigger "off season" and also their off season isnt consumed by development and media responsibilities

[TheThirdTenor1]

The gaps have been too big in the first half of the season.

We have 10 races spread over 5 months (March - July) vs 9 races spread over 3 months (September - November).

[Red17]

Who thinks this stuff up? What's the point of that?

According to the FIA, the August curfew is intended for/inforcing people to rest.

Then you have the logicial issues, races in the same geographic area should be sheduled close, if you have a flyaway outside europe it's a garanteed free week on your book or half of the equipment teams need doesn't arrive at the track. (and yes, in this age moving things around is still troublesome and still needs a ton of paperwork)
There is also this: Spain and Monaco are in May, Monza and Spa are in the late Summer, Bernie is bailing out of Europe, not enough races in america to make a proper leg, you can't race in some areas in Asia without facing the elements (same goes for europe for that matter).
Teams have said since the year Bernie got 15 races that they can't race more than that, it's up to 20 now, but I do not think it will go higher and certainly Bernie does not want to burn his entire waiting line of cash rich customers just to fill up gaps.

There you go, there is simply too many variants to squeeze into a single calendar that will be acepted by everyone.

[Kalmake]

They do have the three day test next week. It's on weekdays so the weekend before and after have to be free.

[apoka]

Who thinks this stuff up? What's the point of that?

I can understand a month off but what's the point of having 3 weeks gap, for the race BEFORE the break.

Two and a half weeks.. and then Hungary, and then another month until Spa.

I find it very odd. And other sports don't do this. It's not even about whether or not you're busy or not.. or if there are other things to watch or not. That's not the point.

My (subjective) feeling of this season is also kind of odd. We had 3 back-to-back GP weekends full of action, but long gaps in between, so it sometimes feels like the season hasn't really started despite more races in the calender.

[Ragingjamaican]

Isn't the reason why there's only 1 race in 7 weeks due to a race being missing from the calender?

[Boxerevo]

Who thinks this stuff up? What's the point of that?

I can understand a month off but what's the point of having 3 weeks gap, for the race BEFORE the break.

Two and a half weeks.. and then Hungary, and then another month until Spa.

I find it very odd. And other sports don't do this. It's not even about whether or not you're busy or not.. or if there are other things to watch or not. That's not the point.

I totally agree.

Those 3 weeks gap to hungary and more one month off later is sad for me.

Edited by Boxerevo, 11 July 2013 - 18:03.

[SpaMaster]

Yes, we have had too many back-to-back and 3-week-gap sets this year. As a fan, I don't like it. I don't know if this has some well though-out reasoning behind it. But if it helps the drivers and team personnel to finish work at a go and have more break in between, I support that and I don't have a problem. But I am not sure if that is the reason.

[EthanM]

Isn't the reason why there's only 1 race in 7 weeks due to a race being missing from the calender?

no the "missing" race (New Jersey) was slated for last month, June 16th, right after Canada.
I think the gap exists due to logistics, there just aren't enough European races to cover May through August and it would make no sense to go back to Asia now logistically.

[Shiroo]

it can be fixed easy. Just add races in Russia, Mexico, Argentina, San Marino, Portugal, Austria

[Wander]

The gaps have been too big in the first half of the season.

We have 10 races spread over 5 months (March - July) vs 9 races spread over 3 months (September - November).

Yes, the calendar doesn't quite seem to be in balance, here's what it looks like with blank spaces representing gaps.

Australia
Malaysia


China
Bahrain


Spain

Monaco

Canada


Britain
Germany


Hungary



Belgium

Italy

Singapore

Korea
Japan

India
Abu Dhabi

U.S.A
Brazil



The end of the year is quite intense.

[Lights]

Ditto. Don't like the inconsistent calender either. At least after the summer break that's over.

I don't think the 2012 calender was any different btw.

[sock22]

no the "missing" race (New Jersey) was slated for last month, June 16th, right after Canada.
I think the gap exists due to logistics, there just aren't enough European races to cover May through August and it would make no sense to go back to Asia now logistically.

The German GP was moved forward one week after the New Jersey race was cancelled to make way for a potential European race to replace it. The extra race didn't materialise so we are left with a 3-week gap.

[Myrvold]

I don't see the problem. The back-to-back races makes it easier, and somewhat cheaper when it comes to transport. It also opens up for a "long" holiday, that helps the guys that work to have a bit more stable family life.

[TheThirdTenor1]

Even if the New Jersey race had materialised the season would still be too lopsided. They should move 1 of Korea or India to the start of the season to even things out a bit.

[g1n]

Yes the calendar is shocking this year, only in October and November is when we get back to having 2 or more races per month.

[Ferrim]

They should couple the USA race with Canada, and bring Brazil to the early part of the calendar, like it used to be until 2003. So it can be Brazil and then Australia. Brazil could also be coupled with another race in for example Argentina. And they should drop Korea - it's my least favourite Tilkedrome right now, and the locals don't seem interested at all.

With some of these changes it would be much more balanced. It certainly feels wrong that after Belgium and Italy there are still seven races to go.

[Deluxx]

I don't understand, it really makes no difference to me.

The faster you want the weeks to go by, the faster the races end. Just enjoy your off time and put the time into perspective. You will enjoy life and racing better this way.

[TheThirdTenor1]

They should couple the USA race with Canada, and bring Brazil to the early part of the calendar, like it used to be until 2003. So it can be Brazil and then Australia. Brazil could also be coupled with another race in for example Argentina. And they should drop Korea - it's my least favourite Tilkedrome right now, and the locals don't seem interested at all.

With some of these changes it would be much more balanced. It certainly feels wrong that after Belgium and Italy there are still seven races to go.

I think it would be too hot to run a race in Austin in June time.

[Lights]

I don't understand, it really makes no difference to me.

The faster you want the weeks to go by, the faster the races end. Just enjoy your off time and put the time into perspective. You will enjoy life and racing better this way.

For me it's not about that I can't wait for the next race. It's just the inconsistency. In my opinion a GP every fortnight is perfect, and I don't need more races or a shorter winter break. It's just that so far this season we had a lot of back to back races followed by a 3 week break. Meaning after 1 race there's 5 days till the next practice, and after that race there's like 20 days till the next practice, 4 times as long. It somehow just takes the flow out of the season.

I'll survive it anyhow, it's not a huge problem. But worth a thread, it clearly does make a difference for some.

[Deluxx]

I mean they must organize these around viewing trends. Around this time is where alot of people take vacations or holidays, so it makes sense to not have many races around this time

[pingu666]

watch napcar instead

[Deluxx]

indycar toronto this weekend too

[mattferg]

no the "missing" race (New Jersey) was slated for last month, June 16th, right after Canada.
I think the gap exists due to logistics, there just aren't enough European races to cover May through August and it would make no sense to go back to Asia now logistically.

No no you're getting confused - Jersey was dropped, then Bernie proposed slotting in something like Red Bull Ring/Istanbul for one year to fill this gap, and the calendar was planned with a race TBC here. Then nothing happened and no race took the slot.

[HoldenRT]

I don't understand, it really makes no difference to me.

The faster you want the weeks to go by, the faster the races end. Just enjoy your off time and put the time into perspective. You will enjoy life and racing better this way.

It's not about that for me anymore. I don't follow F1 so closely anymore. Sometimes I don't even watch practice anymore. Sometimes I barely watch quali or the race.

I find it 'not ideal' either way though. Very inconsistant. For the casual fans.. you forget the last race or what happened in the season at all. It almost feels like there is no season. And for the diehards, the wait is tough.. because they want the weeks to go by because they are so excited.

I'm not so excited with F1 right now.. but I still think that having weeks break in between anything sport wise is silly. A race every 2 weeks is one thing. A 3 week gap is another. But 1 race in 7 weeks is very extreme.

And I hadn't even seen the finish to the year. In one way that is good, but in another way.. it makes the first half of the season even more confusing.

I don't watch any racing in the gaps these days, I have other interests outside of racing. But that's not the point. The point is during a season, you expect to watch something. During the offseason you don't care. You like to have a break. Mixing the two together is very strange.

[Abranet]

I'm sure the engineers families appreciate having them home a bit more often though.......

[robefc]

The gaps have been too big in the first half of the season.

We have 10 races spread over 5 months (March - July) vs 9 races spread over 3 months (September - November).

Lets see it in glass half full mode - that's going to be an awesome 3 months!

[BullHead]

Quite. It is going to be an exciting second half to the season. The gap will only add to the tension and suspense for me.

[DutchQuicksilver]

I don't get the three week gap from Malaysia to China really. I mean, both countries aren't that far apart. Though it's nice to have a back to back race right at the start of the season, better would be Australia, two weeks later Malaysia and then two weeks later China.

[Peat]

So what?

It's sunny out, go and enjoy weekends where you don't have to be teathered to a TV screen.

[BoschKurve]

Adding a French GP and an Austrian GP would reduce the huge gap.

However that would put the calendar at 21 events which is a no-no I would think.

Then again, if it means more money for the teams, I don't know if they would really mind that much after the inevitable bitching. I suppose if another transmission and engine were allowed to be used, they might be more complacent.

[monolulu]

Lets see it in glass half full mode - that's going to be an awesome 3 months! :)

Especially if Merc sort out their problems with tyres ;)

[PayasYouRace]

Well I'm glad we don't have seasons like the 60s and 70s any more. South Africa during the Xmas week, Brazil and Argentina in January or Febuary, and everything else between Monaco (April) and Monza (September).

OK I've probably got some of that a bit wrong, but you know what I mean. Still I do agree that the gaps in the early season are a bit too big. Maybe Belgium should be moved back to it's traditional early season slot to help balance it out. The main problem is the lack of European races and too many races in places that are either too hot or cold in the northern hemisphere summer.

[ANF]

The last 25 F1 calendars.

[gm914]

7 weeks!? That's 18 Nascar races.
I won't miss a thing.

[Nonesuch]

The last 25 F1 calendars.

Nice diagram. While reading the thread, I thought of 1999 and how it seemed to have these large gaps as well. Turns out it was at the start of the year. I'm guessing that was due to a race being cancelled, perhaps Argentina.

[stewie]

Look at 2000, was that basically every other weekend!?

[Red17]

Look at 2000, was that basically every other weekend!?

Pretty much, all months had 2 races, July had 3.
Here is a rundown:
1 Australian Grand Prix 12 March
2 Brazilian Grand Prix 26 March
3 San Marino Grand Prix 9 April
4 British Grand Prix 23 April
5 Spanish Grand Prix 7 May
6 European Grand Prix 21 May
7 Monaco Grand Prix 4 June
8 Canadian Grand Prix 18 June
9 French Grand Prix 2 July
10 Austrian Grand Prix 16 July
11 German Grand Prix 30 July
12 Hungarian Grand Prix 13 August
13 Belgian Grand Prix 27 August
14 Italian Grand Prix 10 September
15 United States Grand Prix 24 September
16 Japanese Grand Prix 8 October
17 Malaysian Grand Prix 22 October

[johnmhinds]

Do back to back races get higher tv viewing figures?

I assume the races are being moved towards the back to back format so they can fit a couple of the new races in the gaps that are being created.

[Lights]

The last 25 F1 calendars.

Thanks, that's really interesting.

2000 calender is like perfection for viewers. It was around the time I started watching the sport and in those years you could almost always count on a race every fortnight.

Based on some casual viewers I know, who don't spend time every week checking if there's a race, or put it in their calenders, I'd actually say the unpredictability of recent F1 calenders haven't helped.

[Ensign]

It was one of those summers when there was no football on that I started to watch F1 again and by summer's end my childhood passion for the sport had returned. After not watching a race for about 5 years I then went the next decade only missing one race in total! So having so few races during the football off season in a non-World Cup/Euro year seems like a missed opportunity to attract new fans.

[RealRacing]

I agree, the 3 week gaps are too much. I´d rather have more 2 week spreads than back to back races and an earlier-ending championship if that means that there won´t be 3 week gaps. 1 month more or less of waiting for the championship to start is less annoying than these long gaps between races.

[TheThirdTenor1]

It was one of those summers when there was no football on that I started to watch F1 again and by summer's end my childhood passion for the sport had returned. After not watching a race for about 5 years I then went the next decade only missing one race in total! So having so few races during the football off season in a non-World Cup/Euro year seems like a missed opportunity to attract new fans.

Good point.

In Western European Countries, football is the number 1 sport (in terms of viewing popularity). F1 should take the opportunity to have more races during the off-season for football.

[PayasYouRace]

The last 25 F1 calendars.

It's interesting how the summer break grows over time.

What caused that massive gap at the beginning of 1990? That's no races from March to mid-May.

I'm sure the reason for the big gap in early '99 was that there was supposed to be an Argentinean GP that year that was cancelled.

Quite a long wait at the end of '98 there too, which must be worse when a championship is closely fought, as it was that year.

Looking at it I'd say 2004 or 2008 is ideal. The teams get a summer break but there aren't too many gaps. 2000 was obviously ideal for viewers, but I think it was a bit hard on the teams.

[Kobasmashi]

Way back in the 60s they used to have South Africa in January and then like a 3 month gap! But I don't get the fragmentation they use these days. Why a 3 week gap between Malaysia and China but China and Bahrain back to back, for example? You'd think, geographically, Malaysia and China back to back would make much more sense

Edited by Kobasmashi, 13 July 2013 - 18:29.

[BullHead]

I imagine geographical convenience is only one factor in deciding the calender, with the biggest decider being contract worth. Like, venues pay a fee based on an agreed date they prefer.

[TheThirdTenor1]

Way back in the 60s they used to have South Africa in January and then like a 3 month gap! But I don't get the fragmentation they use these days. Why a 3 week gap between Malaysia and China but China and Bahrain back to back, for example? You'd think, geographically, Malaysia and China back to back would make much more sense

I'm guessing the 3 week gap between Malaysia and China (as opposed to 2) means the teams and drivers can spend a couple of weeks at home in between as opposed to just 1 week (makes the going home more worthwhile).

[Kelateboy]

Yes, we have had too many back-to-back and 3-week-gap sets this year. As a fan, I don't like it.

Neither do I. The gap seems too long between races this year. Why can't the FIA just schedule 1 GP for every fortnight.

[ANF]

The summer break was discussed at a press conference at the 2008 British GP:

Q. (Luc Domenjoz – Le Matin) Regarding costs, isn't there a contradiction between wanting to reduce costs and increasing the number of Grands Prix at the same time? So what does an additional Grand Prix cost for you and also, there won't be any summer break next season, and I remember Ron Dennis saying if there is no summer break it will be more complicated for mechanics because teams will need two sets of mechanics to tackle the season.

MW [Martin Whitmarsh]: I think the absence of the August break in the calendar next year is very tough. It really is tough on the mechanics. You look at the calendar and see how fewer days the mechanics and the cars are in the UK. It's undoubtedly the case. I think you posed the question about trying to save costs and the potential contradiction in that we've got more Grands Prix.

I think that we just have to accept that we are in the entertainment business. If we are going to another Grand Prix, it does increase our costs but hopefully it's another show that we're putting on during the course of the year and it increases, potentially, the commercial value of Formula One. If we're spending that money on technology on the car, much as several of us up here today have historically enjoyed that, we have to also understand that so doing doesn't increase the commercial value of Formula One. So I think there will always be pressure to have more Grands Prix.

I think you will reach a point of saturation but I think we're limited to 20 at the moment. We've got 19 next year. It worries me how hard it's going to be on the teams but I think that's a management challenge: how we're going to deal with that and make sure that we don't burn people out during the course of the season.

(…)

RB [Ross Brawn]: I think unfortunately we do tend to go round in circles and the August break was introduced as a means of genuinely giving everyone a rest in the middle of tough seasons. Now we want to expand the number of races and not do that, so we end up having to look at reserve squads and back-up mechanics and groups of people who can take over, so the others guys can get a rest.

And without doing that, to have a whole race team that can't take a holiday from what would effectively be February until November is not easy. It means we're going to have to look at extra crews, extra people, so we can give people breaks. We've been through this before. I had the same discussion, came to a conclusion and those conclusions seem to have been forgotten again. So I think it's a shame.

FW [Frank Williams]: We believe that the extra race was very desirable from the front end of the business or extremely hard on the race team and I think we will have to take on quite a few more mechanics. These will obviously be expensive, exposure we can sell better. It's hard on the people, perhaps it's a little bit better for the bank balance but not as much as you might guess. Ron Dennis once said several times to Max and Bernie in particular, eyeball to eyeball, ‘the more races you put on, the more we lose.'

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/68853

(There was indeed a summer break in 2009. The Turkish GP had been scheduled for 9 August, but was moved to 7 June as the Canadian GP was dropped.)