Formula 1 made a controversial decision at the start of the 2024 season — expanding the calendar to a record 24 races — which received immense criticism from the teams and drivers. Lando Norris understands the frustrations of the mechanics and the engineers, who he claims work a lot more than the drivers, but cannot understand the frustrations of his peers.
“It is not hard for us as drivers,” he told the media ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He then slammed his peer drivers by adding, “If the drivers say it is hard, they are lying. It is simply nonsense. We live a great life. We earn a lot of money”.
Norris’ remarks contradict those of Max Verstappen, who claimed F1 is “way over the limit” with 24 races. The Dutchman claimed at the start of this season that F1’s current schedule is “not sustainable” and fears that people’s careers may be shortened because of the increased demands that come with 24 races.
However, Norris says “The mechanics, the engineers, they are the ones who travel later, who have worse flights, who have many more working days than us drivers.”
“So next time a driver complains, tell him to shut up,” he grins.
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Two-time champion Fernando Alonso echoed Verstappen’s concerns as he too believes 24 races “is not sustainable for the future”. The 43-year-old is so unhappy with the current schedule that he even provided a detailed account of his flying time after five races to reveal how hectic the calendar has now become.
If the drivers are finding the current schedule too much to handle, imagine how the situation would be for the mechanics and the engineers, who Norris claims “have worse flights, who have many more working days than us drivers”. So, the Briton added with a grin that the “next time a driver complains, tell him to shut up”.
