The 2009 calendar worries the teams

The Formula 1 teams have asked the governing bodies to look into the best way to construct next year’s calendar in order to continue the tradition of the summer break.

Next year, the schedule will extend from the end of March until mid-November but will not include the three-week summer break that has been a feature of recent schedules.

This change has led to serious concerns from some teams, who fear rotating their staff due to burnout.

The boss of McLaren, Ron Dennis, recently stated: « This break is absolutely essential. It allows employees to see their family for at least a week because they are not in the office or in the workshops. »

« It is essential to keep people motivated and happy when addressing the schedule, as what is planned for next year is challenging. »

On the side of the race directors, the concerns relate to the financial implications of such a measure. They have accepted the idea of trying to develop a way to redistribute dates to create a wider gap in the schedule.

It was agreed that the team managers are entrusted with this task because they know the realities on the ground and are more aware of the logistical needs in terms of personnel and equipment for each race.

One initial idea is to start the season earlier because, as of today, the Australian Grand Prix is scheduled for March 29. This solution was dismissed by Bernie Ecclestone because this date would ensure a better audience for European television as it coincides with the time change.

Now, it is said that it would be the German, Hungarian, and/or Turkish races that would be affected by a date change.

One possibility would be to have the German Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix one week apart on July 12 and 19, and then Turkey would be on August 2. The three-week gap before Valencia on the 23rd would be good.

Toyota President, John Howett added: « It seems we have a long break at the beginning of the season and no summer break. There should be more discussions to optimize this schedule in terms of workload for the teams. »