F1’s popularity is creating a packed racing schedule that’s causing some tension at the top of the sport.
More countries want in on the action. Rwanda, Thailand, and South Africa are all hoping to host F1 races, even though the calendar’s already maxed out at 24 races per season.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem isn’t happy about it.
“Twenty races was enough,” he told Le Figaro in a recent interview. “I think it’s a bit too much now.”
He’s got a point. The sport’s been dropping some of its most historic tracks to make room for flashy street circuits in new markets. Even the legendary Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium is being pushed into a rotation system starting in 2028.
While Ben Sulayem praised Liberty Media, F1’s current rights holders, for “doing a great job,” he’s worried about the sport losing touch with its roots.
“It’s good to open up to new countries, but we mustn’t forget where the story began,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier if F1 returned to France, but also to Germany.”
The FIA president has a different vision for F1’s future. Instead of more races, he wants more teams competing.
That’s why he pushed to bring General Motors and Cadillac into the sport. “Many people were against it, but I think it’s a good decision for the sport,” he explained.
When asked who might win the upcoming 2025 season, Ben Sulayem just laughed it off.
“I won’t answer you,” he said. “To tell you the truth, when I attend a Grand Prix, I am sometimes asked who is in the lead, and I have no idea. I am there to make sure that the race takes place in perfect conditions of safety and fairness.”
