Sprint weekends and a longer race calendar—things that Liberty Media has introduced since taking over Formula 1 in 2017. Why? Because it’s made F1 more a business than a sport, prioritizing its commercial value more than its sporting appeal. It’s all worked, to be fair. Audiences have increased, and so has engagement, especially in the US—the biggest consumer market in the world. These changes have pleased almost every stakeholder in F1. Well, everyone except reigning champion Max Verstappen. 

It’s true that F1 has become more about the business than what it started as—the pinnacle of motorsport, with the best of the world competing against each other. That’s the idea Verstappen fell in love with as a kid, and that’s the idea that’s slowly being taken over by commercialization. With all these changes in F1, Verstappen hasn’t found anything to like. But a recent declaration by the FIA will be something he approves.

Andretti could favor Max Verstappen with its entry

Last season, in an attempt to make F1 even more global, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem opened the doors for new teams to enter the sport. As per the agreement between F1, the FIA, and the 10 existing teams, the sport can have a maximum of 12 teams. Andretti Global, under Michael and Mario Andretti’s leadership, saw this as its opportunity to expand beyond American borders and made its ‘true American’ bid. Last week, the FIA approved the bid, bringing Andretti one step closer to its F1 dream. 

While most teams have opposed the idea of another constructor joining the grid, Ben Sulayem may have just made Verstappen an ally. Earlier this year, when F1 released its mammoth 24-race calendar for 2024, Verstappen was among the first to express his discontent, so much so that he alluded to an early retirement. He said, “It is too many [races] for me, but we just have to deal with it. More things will have to come together for me to make my mind up over whether I stay longer [than 2028] or not. But I think that these things are definitely not helping for sure.” Could Ben Sulayem have given Verstappen a reason to stay?

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In an interview after approving Andretti’s bid, Ben Sulayem said, “The circuits are supposed to have enough garages and space for 12 teams. I think the number of races is too much [rather] than the number of teams. We need more teams and fewer races.” Fewer races? Now, that’s something Verstappen wouldn’t mind. And with more teams, that’ll just give him the opportunity to outperform more people. It seems like a win-win situation for the Dutchman. While Verstappen may have the FIA on his side, F1 is a little indifferent to his problems.

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Verstappen does not have F1, the business, in his corner

When F1 introduced Sprint races in 2021, Verstappen felt it took away from the legacy of the sport. As long as F1 has been a sport, Saturday was for qualifying, and Sunday was for the main race. With the Sprint format, all of it went for a toss. This season, though, F1 changed the format of Sprint weekends, making it so that the Sprint race didn’t affect the main race. Even so, Verstappen wasn’t too pleased, saying,  “When we’re going to do all that stuff, the weekend becomes even more intense, and we’re already doing so many races. It’s not worth it for me. I’m not a fan of it at all.”

On the Beyond The Grid Podcast, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was asked about Verstappen’s negative opinions. He explained that they don’t concern him too much, saying, “If there is something for the benefit of the sport, and Max doesn’t like it, I will try to explain. And if he understands, I’ll be very proud and happy. If he doesn’t agree, fair enough, it’s okay. That’s part of the game. At the end of the day, for certain decisions, we [F1] have the duty to take the responsibility we have in the bigger picture.” That bigger picture for Domenicali is sustaining F1, the business.

What do you think? Will F1 reduce the number of races, as Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Max Verstappen suggested? And will it approve Andretti’s entry into the sport?

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