Publications
Partners
Formula 1 will not schedule an arduous 'triple header' in 2019.
Even though Liberty Media is hoping to add Miami to the calendar next year, teams have reported that staging France, Austria and Britain on consecutive weekends was too much in the past month.
'Teams are struggling
"Everyone's tired. Everyone's powering through it," said McLaren's Zak Brown.
READ: 'Happy' Alonso leads Le Mans as Triple Crown bid continues
Not just that, the teams are struggling even logistically to get their equipment from one race to the next. In Austria a week ago, for instance, many teams had their test motor homes on site while the proper ones were sent to Silverstone.
"I think that was a shame for the Austrian promoter. It's small considerations that sometimes we don't necessarily think through when these decisions are made," said Claire Williams.
'No more triple header'
But it seems that Liberty Media has learned its lesson. The triple header was actually created to accommodate the World Cup final, and will now disappear for 2019.
"I was told there would not be a triple header" in 2019, Force India's Otmar Szafnauer told RTL television at Silverstone.
He called the 2018 triple header a "debacle", but planning is already underway to make the calendar better for next year.
The season opener in Australia, for instance, will take place a week early.
"We will have about the same number of races next season," Szafnauer added.
"My understanding is that we most likely won't have a triple header again next year. The conversation around 22-23 races is, I think, a few years out. I think we'll probably see 20, maybe 21 again next year," McLaren's Brown added.