Valtteri Bottas is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid and has witnessed the sport add more and more races to its calendar over the years. Traveling all over the world has become hectic as a result, but Bottas has a solution in mind.
The Sauber driver would love to have the ability to teleport, as he revealed in an interview. He said,
“I travel so much and I feel like I almost waste a lot of time, like on the planes not doing much. So, it would be nice to be able to move around quicker“.
When Bottas first started competing in F1 back in 2013, there were 19 races on the schedule. Now, there are 24.
24 races in 2024 with big steps forward in regionalization
Introducing next year’s Formula 1 calendar ️#F1 pic.twitter.com/JTSWJL29yH
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 5, 2023
F1 drivers will travel 76,000 miles in total throughout the 2024 season. So, it is understandable why Bottas feels he would save up a lot of time and energy if he could teleport to the venues.
Fernando Alonso, the oldest driver on the grid, revealed after the season’s first five races that he spent 153 hours just traveling.
Since F1’s current schedule is so exhausting for drivers, many have urged the authorities to not add more races to the calendar.
Will F1 add more races to its calendar?
2024 is going to be F1’s biggest season yet in terms of number of races on the calendar (24). 14 of them have already taken place, with the remaining 10 scheduled for after the summer break.
Newer venues like Qatar, Las Vegas, and Saudi Arabia have contributed to the increase in travel for drivers. While it did add to the viewing spectacle, it also took a toll on the teams, making their routine more demanding.
Currently, there are no plans to add more races to the calendar. However, if the sport continues to get more popular, there is a chance that may happen.
