Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that the F1 calendar will be capped at 24 grands prix - ahead of a bumper 2023 season.
F1 have already announced a record-breaking 24-race season next year as they aim to capitalise on the huge growth in popularity in the sport and target a new fanbase. Las Vegas will host one of three races in the US, while a return to the calendar had been planned for China and Qatar after Covid-19 restrictions and the FIFA World Cup.
But the Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled to be the fourth race of the 2023 season in April, looks set to be cancelled amidst the strict zero-Covid policy in the country. And while F1 chairman and CEO Domenicali has not officially postponed the race, the 2023 calendar could lose a race that was set to return for the first time since 2019.
Many other venues are also said to be looking to get a piece of the F1 action, with Colombia and South Africa touted as future destinations to host a race weekend. But while Domenicali remains interested in exploring new possibilities of growth in the sport around the world, he has confirmed there is currently a maximum of 24 races for an F1 season.
"The sky is the limit," Domenicali said. "No, it's a joke. The limit, I think, is next year with 24 grands prix. That is an optimal dimension, taking into account the growth that we have had all over the world. No more."
The 24-race 2023 campaign is set to test F1 drivers and their teams to the limits after an already draining 22-race 2022 calendar where Max Verstappen claimed his second world title at a canter.
But it looks increasingly likely that there will indeed only be 23 races next season, which could see a month break between races should the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai be cancelled.
It is unlikely that a replacement would be found for the race in China, meaning a four-week gap in the schedule between the Australian Grand Prix on April 2 and Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30.
Meanwhile, the number of sprint races will double from three to six next year, as F1 bosses capitalise on larger TV audiences. Imola, Austria and Brazil hosted the innovative 2022 Saturday sprints, which decided the grid for Sunday's races.
