It's common knowledge that should France return to the calendar
for the first time since Magny-Cours last held a race in 2007, it
will likely be at the expense of Belgium's legendary
Spa-Francorchamps circuit - at least on a bi-annual basis. The
prospect has divided opinion amongst Formula 1 fans: some
justifiably want the birthplace of motorsport to play host to a
grand prix, whilst others strongly dislike the idea of sacrificing
a historic and much-loved location.
But why are we afraid of a spot of year-on-year variety? Let's
face it, everything changes in Formula One. Drivers come and go,
and the turnover of teams isn't all that far behind. Nobody stays
still - bosses, designers, sponsors, managers, mechanics, engine
suppliers and tyre manufacturers are all prone to either jumping
ship every now and again or heading directly for the exit. This
frantic pace of change means that no single season is the same, and
every year new combinations go up against one another in the heat
of battle. The only thing that remains fairly constant is the
battlefield.
This year, seventeen of the locations we visit will have hosted
the same race last year. But as Bernie Ecclestone never fails to
inform sweating promoters, there's no shortage of countries that
fancy a gig on the world's most exclusive tour. It's also
reasonably obvious that twenty races per year is edging on
unsustainable - with an off-season that has been chipped down to
two months, there's certainly not much more room for expansion. So
what's the solution? Mandatory race-sharing.
It might sound like madness, but surely there's an argument to
be considered. If each race were guaranteed a slot every other
year, then we would be opening Formula One up to forty different
locations worldwide. Those familiar, popular old venues would
secure their places for the foreseeable future, safe in the
knowledge that Formula One would return every two years - whilst
the sport explores new horizons that were previously knocking on a
shut door. Think about it: in any given season we might visit
Belgium, Hungary and China - and then the next we would be in
France, Russia and Singapore. The next season we would revert, and
so on.
When we actually arrived at a circuit, there would be no more
mucking about. Having not turned a wheel at any given venue for
twenty-four months, drivers would be queuing up at the pitlane exit
to begin practice. Moreover, it would spice up the show. If your
pilots, strategists and mechanics aren't quite so sure what to
expect, you're going to get mixed up racing. The men in the cockpit
are more likely to end up off the road, nobody's going to know when
the tyres are going to go off and a paddock full of experimental
set-ups could well turn the grid upside down. The outcome of a race
is much more likely to be decided by inspired decision making than
a honed repetition of last year's programme.
Of course, you would have to be careful to end up with a mixed
calendar of traditional and not-so-traditional events - nobody
wants a season in which Monaco, Suzuka and Spa are left on the
sidelines whilst Yas Marina, Yeongam and Delhi welcome the world.
What we want is a season where Silverstone sits alongside Sochi,
followed by a year in which they are substituted by Sao Paulo and
Singapore. That's what we all love about Formula 1 - its diversity.
Each year we visit deserts, forests, cities and parks, and set
twenty four of the world's best drivers loose. In any one year we
must be sure to maintain that blend of history, novelty and
complete contrast. And then a completely different year containing
more of the same next year.
So there's my proposal. Formula 1 can only become a truly global
sport when it visits every corner of the world and inspires people
in the flesh with its colour, power and noise - and by visiting
forty different venues over two years, it can truly achieve that.
Those rustic old tracks will sit happily alongside their shiny
modern counterparts, their places no longer under threat and those
pesky hosting fees only coming up once every two years. As for the
viewer, race weekends will feature more mistakes, courageous calls
and underdog triumphs, the backdrop to which varies wildly every
season. Come on Bernie, you know it makes sense.