Domenicali gets zero luck: 'Of course the promoters want us everywhere'
General
- Ludo van Denderen
So, with the announcement that Formula 2 and Formula 3 will be seen as Formula 1's sideshow from the 2026 season at Madrid's new street circuit, there will certainly be a new track on the calendar for the talents. If it is up to Formula One Management, many more races will be added to the feeder series. However, Bruno Michel, the CEO of F2 and F3, informs his colleague Stefano Domenicali that he cannot accept FOM's request.
No less than 2.5 months was no Formula 2 on hiatus this year in the middle of the season. Not that F1 - of which F2 is always the supporting programme - did not see action. But F2 never travels to Brazil, the US or Mexico, leaving a big gap in the calendar. Not ideal, Michel thinks. "It was even three months in the past. But now Baku is in September, that helped a bit, before we went to Qatar," says the Frenchman. To then add: "Of course, it's not ideal."
Michel possibly open to more F2 races
Fourteen race weekends counted the F2 championship in 2024. According to Michel, that is the perfect number. "Of course the promoters want us to be everywhere. Stefano wants us to do the 24 races with Formula 1. I cannot do that," says Michel, who also does not rule out adding one or two extra races to the feeder series' calendar.
"Yes, I am also talking to some promoters who hold races between Baku and Qatar. Let's see if I can make a good deal with them, because it's far away, it's expensive, if we want to go to Austin, or if we want to go to Mexico, or if we want to go to Brazil."
"Not to Las Vegas, because there's very limited track time there, but for all the other races it's not an easy decision. So yes, it is possible that we change it. But if we don't, OK, so be it," the CEO concludes.
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