F1 drivers are among the most vocal athletes, unafraid to speak out against issues they find unjust. One widely debated topic is the sport’s increasingly hectic schedule, with the number of races rising to 24 last year.
Max Verstappen is one of the many drivers who have raised his concerns. “From my side, I’ve said it before, this is not sustainable,” he told reporters last year in Bahrain. “I love racing a lot and I do it a lot also outside of Formula One“.
Fernando Alonso agreed, noting that when he started, there were only 16 races. However, the calendar has expanded, especially since Liberty Media took over the sport in 2017.
Franz Tost, who was Verstappen’s boss at Toro Rosso, however, dismisses these concerns, finding the complaints from drivers and others in the sport unnecessary.
“We had the race on the weekend, and on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we tested,” Tost said while appearing as a guest for Sport Marke Medien in Munich last year. “At the beginning, we even had two cars. And it was always the same technicians and engineers. I never heard a complaint from them back then“.
24 races for ’25! #F1 pic.twitter.com/U6WIkSMLOI
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 23, 2025
The 69-year-old argued that 24 races are the right number and dismissed concerns about mechanics being overworked. “People always say that the mechanics are overworked—that’s a total joke,” Tost said. “They are not overworked at all.”
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first controversial statement made by the former Red Bull honcho.
When Tost wanted drivers’ salaries to be capped at $10m
Back in 2020, Tost not only suggested that drivers’ salaries be included in the budget cap but also proposed capping them at $10 million. His reasoning was straightforward: “The drivers anyway earn too much money, they should get much less.”
In 2025, eight drivers earn $10 million or more annually, with stars like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton making over $60 million. Given that drivers risk their lives every weekend for the sport and its fans, it’s no surprise they wouldn’t support such a proposal.
Back in 2020, Hamilton appeared baffled upon hearing about the proposal to cap drivers’ salaries at $10 million. “Who said that?” he asked when a reporter brought it up.
Upon learning it was Franz Tost, Hamilton simply responded, “Who’s that?”
Whether he was genuinely unaware of Tost or just dismissive, it was clear he wasn’t impressed by his opinion.
