Domenicali responds to criticism: 'We don't just look at money'

Formula 1 is receiving a lot of criticism about the current and future calendar. Classic, historic circuits threaten to disappear from the sport as new Grands Prix make way. CEO Stefano Domenicali emphasises that it is not just about money in the sport.

More and more new circuits are being added to the F1 calendar. Recently the street circuit in Jeddah was added as well as the Qatar Grand Prix. This year also saw the first running of the Miami Grand Prix.

From 2023 onwards, the Las Vegas Grand Prix, for example, will be added to the calendar, which means other circuits have to make room. According to rumours, fans may have to say goodbye to classic circuits such as Monaco and Spa-Francorchamps, which have been part of the F1 calendar for many years. There would also be no place for the German Grand Prix.

Domenicali: 'We don't only look at money'

Domenicali responds to the opinions surrounding the calendar format. "I am not selling the soul of Formula 1", he is quoted as saying by the German branch of Sky Sports. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been accused of violating human rights, leading fans to suspect that the sport only travels to such countries because of the money. "Change is normal. Money is important everywhere, including for us. We don't just look at money, the whole package has to be right. If we only looked at the bank account, the calendar would look very different", the Italian stresses.