Jean Todt comments on the F1 and WEC motorsport calendar. F1, WEC and Formula E representatives met in Monaco to discuss how to improve calendar co-ordination.

French motor sport executive Jean Todt admitted the fact that the motorsport calendar is starting to get too crowded, making it very difficult to avoid clashes between major series such as Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship. Asked at a media conference during the Six Hours of Spa whether the Le Mans 24 Hours will continue being held on non-F1 race weekends, the president of governing body the FIA explained:

“Ideally if you can avoid a clash it’s good but you must be realistic. You take each single FIA championship and if you add them you will have more than 52 [races]. And we only have 52 weeks. And most of the championships are starting from week 10 until week 47/48. So it makes 37/38 weeks. So a miracle cannot exist. It’s very easy to criticise, to say it’s no good, it should not happen, but then in reality sometimes you don’t have the choice. So you have to accept it.” – he said.

Formula One, WEC and Formula E representatives met in Monaco to discuss how to improve calendar co-ordination between the three series. However, as reported by RaceFans.com, for the moment F1 is unlikely to move its races in order to accommodate other championships. WEC cut the number of races it holds from nine last year to just five this year as part of its 2018-18 ‘super season’. One of these, the Six Hours of Fuji, originally clashed with an F1 race, and was moved when Toyota wanted star driver Fernando Alonso to race in both.

Some teams have been reluctant to allow their drivers to race in multiple championships. However Jean Todt, who enjoyed prolonged F1 success in charge of Scuderia Ferrari between 1994 and 2007, believes it’s “very healthy to have those opportunities for drivers” and said he would have let his drivers do the same as Fernando Alonso: “It is essential if you want to have a driver very competitive and very happy you must try to make sure that he is in the most friendly surroundings. If a driver is happy in a team, if he feels that he gets so much support, he has more energy. But [it doesn’t] need to be a driver. I’m sure in your business if you are happy, if you have good harmony, good surroundings, you will be performing better rather than if its controversy from the morning to the evening. It’s just a fact of life.” – the FIA president concluded.