The FIA’s sudden publication of the 2023 Formula 1 calendar has left teams and Liberty Media “angry”, it has been revealed.
On Tuesday, motorsport’s governing body revealed a record 24-race schedule for next season, starting in Bahrain on March 5 and ending in Abu Dhabi on November 26.
Included is the return of the Chinese and Qatar Grand Prix, plus the addition of a Saturday night race in Las Vegas as the penultimate round a week before the finale at Yas Marina.
It’s official – @f1 is hitting the @Vegas Strip November 16-18, 2023! Join the adrenaline rush at https://t.co/ySgEoN9ypp #LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/1QtFT1wGFJ
— F1 Las Vegas (@F1LasVegas) September 20, 2022
Other key changes see Azerbaijan switch back to an earlier April date in a gruelling doubleheader with Miami, rather than its previous doubleheader with Canada in June.
Imola, Monaco (which also signed a new F1 contract until 2025) and Spain also form one of two tripleheaders, the other being part of the latest cause of contention between F1 and the FIA.
While Belgium’s one-year reprieve also sees a move to an earlier end-of-July date before the summer break.
The full schedule can be seen below:
According to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, however, the publication of the calendar has made F1 bosses and teams “angry and frustrated” for various reasons.
First, teams had not officially approved the tripleheader across the Americas in October/ early November, explaining F1’s delay in confirming the schedule.
Then there was the FIA’s decision not to wait for final approval and co-ordinate a joint media release with Liberty Media, as is tradition.
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Also, in his comments, President Mohammed Ben Sulayem took credit claiming the “addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA’s sound stewardship of the sport”.
However, as the commercial rights holder, it is Liberty Media that is responsible for negotiating race contracts and organising the schedule, with the governing body’s role being largely confirmational.
It is just the latest example of the strained relationship between F1 and the FIA over the past year with little sign of that tension easing anytime soon.