The announcement that Formula 1 will host the launch of a season featuring all 10 teams may not seem like a big deal, but it suggests the sport is finding ways to evolve in the face of an ever-expanding schedule.
Assuming all goes well with plans for the next four weeks, this year will mark the first time there will be 24 races in one season. The race begins March 2 and ends just over two weeks before Christmas.
At the start of the hybrid era a decade ago, the season saw race sizes reduced by more than 20 percent, and start and finish dates were a month shorter, at 252 days from start to finish instead of 281.
Of course things change, but moving an entire sport around the world every year is a huge undertaking and is an undertaking that requires enormous commitment and commitment from those involved. So the increase in the race schedule with these intense events has definitely had an impact.
In the past, each team also had their own launch event at the beginning of the year to plan and execute, from an online launch (which had multiple assets and timing hurdles) to a factory-based unveiling of a new car. Or it could be a complete takeover of another location.
The best launch in recent years was that of the 2023 Ferrari, where Fred Vasseur’s team bravely unveiled the new car by holding an unveiling event at the Fiorano Circuit. It was when the car emerged from the garage for the first lap that it was revealed for the first time, and the whole event felt like a celebration of the team’s Maranello heritage in a way that few others could attempt.
But speaking to Vasseur in Azerbaijan a few months ago, he made it clear that there would be no repeat in the future because of the stress involved. The risk of having trouble with the car in front of such a large live audience (shaking problems were often discovered when shaken) was something he was not willing to take again. And that’s before we even talk about the logistics required to pull off such an event.
It therefore seems increasingly tempting for teams to opt for more controlled environments, which often result in a mix of real cars, rendered designs and liveries from previous chassis. This product is available during launch season. That said, the first time the car was actually seen was when it rolled out of the pit lane at the start of pre-season testing. An early morning on a largely deserted racecourse isn’t the sexiest way to start the season, but it was the first time the entire grid came together as a group.
Spotting an undelivered new car on a lonely track may be exciting for anorak, but it does little to promote the sport as a whole. Federico Basile/Motorsports Images
F1 has now ensured that won’t happen in 2025, with a launch event featuring all the teams, 20 drivers and team principals, plenty of entertainment offerings and special guests. Turning it into something more fans can get involved with isn’t a bad thing. Even though it’s still a pretty hefty price tag for a glorious livery reveal set.
One area that feels like a step in the right direction is collaboration during the offseason.
I still think 24 races is too many. There will be times, like this season, when the championship battle fluctuates. So it would be helpful to have a lot of racing still left as one driver is looking to build a sizable lead. But often the competitive situation is one of multiple title contenders where one team dominates or there will be a mix of 18 or 24 races.
The NFL provides a really interesting blueprint for F1 in that the season runs from September to early February with 17 regular season games and playoffs. But huge demand remains, partly due to anticipation building over the remaining six months. Of the year.
But any sports fan knows that the NFL doesn’t disappear just because there are no games. There’s the Pro Bowl, Combine, and Draft. They are all organized events that provide a focus and, in most cases, allow fans to get closer to the sport in a different way.
Other sports have things like a transfer window that makes headlines when a competitive season isn’t taking place. Even leagues like Major League Baseball, despite the sheer number of games, have longer offseasons, with general manager meetings and winter meetings, which have a major impact on free agency, before spring training.
However, F1 generally tends to simply fade away after the final race, with car launches being the most exciting moments scheduled. only scheduled moment) before the wheels turn again in pre-season testing.
The launch event held at London’s O2 Arena is the first attempt at creating something particularly noteworthy in the off-season, and considering its prototype nature, it’s hard to say it will be a stunning success that the industry certainly can’t improve upon. Years in the future.
But what it hopes to do is demonstrate that the sport can generate significant interest from fans and partners even when no races are taking place, and that it is not simply about adding another Grand Prix where there are bidders willing to pay for hosting. It’s the only way to create powerful value.
The Rookie Race idea, which is currently being considered ahead of an end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi in 2025, is another concept that would fit the bill, even if it is still a race of sorts and only 48 hours apart from the final round. There is enough demand for teams as is, but for F1 itself to organize specific off-season events could be a really productive way to grow the sport further, as many other major sports leagues can do. And perhaps the racing schedule doesn’t need to get any bigger than that.
