Feb.19 (GMM) Former F1 group boss Franz Tost has lashed out on the rising consensus within the sport that the calendar has turn into far too inflated with its 24 grands prix.
Whereas the drivers journey in 5-star type, many consider the schedule has turn into unacceptably arduous for the majority of F1’s personnel – just like the mechanics.
Tost, who stepped down as Alpha Tauri boss on the finish of 2023, stridently disagrees.
“Folks at all times say that the mechanics are overworked,” he informed Sport Marke Medien. “That’s a complete joke. They aren’t overworked in any respect.
“I feel 24 races is completely okay,” the 69-year-old Austrian added.
Tost stated that when he entered System 1 within the 90s, supporting Ralf Schumacher, the schedule was really way more arduous than it’s at present.
“We had the race on the weekend and we examined on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,” he recollects. “In the beginning we even had two (check) automobiles. And it was at all times the identical mechanics and engineers. I by no means heard a criticism from them again then.
“Now, there’s a curfew in System 1, which implies that it’s over at 9 within the night till 8am the following day. Jesus! What extra do they need? They get to work in System 1 – that’s a privilege.
“This entire work-life steadiness, all this crap, it’s completely pointless. You don’t want something like that. It’s one thing for people who find themselves too lazy to work.”
Some recommend System 1 ought to really return the times of intense on-track testing, complemented by a calendar that includes fewer races.
“In the event you say you need to check, that’s an outdated mind-set,” Tost hits again. “You don’t have to check in any respect. Testing is essentially the most pointless factor ever.
“It’s only a device for the engineers to allow them to mess around. It’s all pointless. The cash is earned on the races. The extra races you do, the more cash System 1 makes.”
Tost thinks F1 may even develop the calendar past its unprecedented 24 grands prix per season.
“The yr has 52 weeks,” he stated. “Each different week would make sense. There might be 26 races.
“And I’m not saying that now as a result of I’m retired. I’ve at all times stated that earlier than too. I at all times had heated discussions with my former colleagues. They stated ‘That’s far an excessive amount of – 18 to twenty races within the most’.
“I at all times requested them ‘What are you? Are you a racing group or a vacation group?’”
