Is F1 considering mid-week races?

For probably the most half the truth that – as a result of Ramadan – the opening two races of the forthcoming season happen on a Saturday seems to have slipped below the radar.

The transfer comes months after F1 opted to host the Las Vegas Grand Prix on a Saturday, the primary time that this has occurred since South Africa 1985.

The rationale for the timing of the Las Vegas occasion was with the intention to have the race televised on Sunday morning in what stays the game’s European heartland, however it was a plan that backfired.

With Las Vegas eight hours behind the UK and 9 behind continental Europe it was too early within the morning to get important audiences, whereas on the east coast of America it was the nighttime. Although it was broadcast at prime time in Asia this is not F1’s prime market.

Consequently, the Grand Prix attracted the grand complete of 1.3 million viewers on ESPN within the US, half the quantity who tuned in to the inaugural Miami occasion.

Nonetheless, that does not imply the race was a whole failure, and with F1 being the promoter, with a ten yr contract, fingers will likely be tightly crossed that issues enhance over the approaching years.

Nonetheless, holding it on a Saturday examined the waters of mid-week racing which is strictly what Liberty Media must persuade buyers that the enterprise has additional potential for progress.

Races are the driving drive behind the expansion of F1’s revenues as every one usually pays internet hosting charges that alone come to a mean of $33.5m (£26.5m) yearly.

Then there’s the income from trackside promoting and race title sponsorship in addition to hospitality revenues. If a brand new race is in a key promote it may even allow Liberty to spice up its broadcasting charges which signify F1’s single-largest income.

Whereas drivers have spoken out over the problem that this yr’s 24 race schedule presents, staff bosses, with an eye fixed on the coffers, have been largely silent. That mentioned, with F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali having admitted that he would like to see thirty or so races every year, Zak Brown not too long ago opined that the game may deal with an extra eight.

A second race in Italy won’t make a lot distinction when it comes to the payment paid by Sky Italia, but when, for instance, the much-mooted South African Grand Prix returned to the calendar it may considerably drive up the quantity {that a} native broadcaster pays.

The groups are the roadblock in the best way of including extra races to the calendar because the Concorde Business Settlement, the contract which commits the groups to race, caps the variety of Grands Prix in a season at 25 which provides F1 little room for progress. Its phrases additionally state that the consent of 70% of the groups is required if there are greater than 24 races in a season or if there are fewer than eight throughout Europe and North America mixed.

There may be good cause for this.

The vast majority of the groups are primarily based within the UK so the extra races that happen in far-flung locations, the higher their journey prices develop into and the extra time they must spend away from dwelling.

So how does holding races on a Saturday assist issues? Effectively, if Saturday was viable then why not Friday? And if that went forward then how about Thursday and even Wednesday?

Actually, races have taken place on just about on daily basis of the week, although this was largely when the Indianapolis 500 shaped a part of the F1 world championship, when the race had to happen on 30 Could except it was a Sunday wherein case the occasion was held over till the Monday.

F1 is below large strain from the inexperienced foyer and never simply due to the 20 ‘gas-guzzlers’ roaring across the observe. Its calendar can be in charge as the game travels from one a part of the world to a different and again once more later within the yr. If as a substitute of visiting the US at three completely different occasions of the yr it as a substitute held the three races in a single week (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday), it might be much more environmentally-friendly.

Moreover, it might additionally save on journey prices. Additionally, there would not be time for as a lot apply so the races would hopefully be extra unpredictable.

However the largest profit is that it might imply F1 may match extra races right into a shorter house of time. The extra races, the extra income it generates.

If it took the mid-week racing method in each market F1 may considerably increase the variety of races on the calendar with out rising the time spent on the highway away from dwelling. That seems like a win-win and the game appears to be heading in exactly this route.

At a time NASCAR consists of 36 rounds, Liberty bosses have to be licking their lips…