F1 staff disgruntled with 2022 calendar "should go" - Franz Tost

Formula 1

F1 staff disgruntled with 2022 calendar "should go" - Tost

F1 is set to hold a record 23 races next year

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Friday 8 October 2021 13:30

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has suggested any staff disgruntled with next season's gruelling 23-race schedule should quit F1.

F1 has floated a provisional calendar that starts in March and finishes in November, with the record-breaking number of races set to test the endurance of team members.

The news has triggered concerns over the wellbeing and mental health of team workforces due to the time spent away from families and the potential for Covid bubbles remaining in place.

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Asked how his team had prepared to maintain the health of its workforce, Tost said: "We know now that we have 23 races. Fantastic! I am looking forward to it.

"Regarding the people at the track, first of all we are a race team and they all should be happy we have as many races as possible.

"Taking care of our people, our mechanics for example, after a race weekend they have three or four days off where they can stay at home.

"Engineers, it is a little bit more difficult but if I remember back to former times, they had to go after a race weekend to do tests, which means they also had to work there.

"I think we should all be happy that we are in a position where F1 has 23 races and if someone doesn't like it, they should go."

Tost holds no concern over triple-headers

Should the calendar be ratified at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on October 15 it will contain two triple-headers, the first a repeat of this year's Belgium-Netherlands-Italy stretch to be followed by a second in Russia, Singapore and Japan.

Looking ahead to the schedule, Tost added: "The first triple-header is an easy one, it is Zandvoort, Spa and Monza. I don't think there is any problem.

"The second is a little heavier but I think from the logistics side, everything is under control and we are nearly in the same time zone, therefore, I don't expect any major problems."