Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has calculated “a few million” is being saved this year following F1’s decision not to stretch the calendar to a record-breaking 23 races.
In pre-season, F1 axed September’s Russian Grand Prix as a sanction in the wake of that country’s invasion of Ukraine before then opting to cancel the remainder of the contract.
It was long felt F1 would pursue a replacement as it sought to uphold its boast of staging a record-breaking schedule, with the likes of Qatar, Turkey, Portugal, and a double-header in Singapore all mentioned.
F1, however, has now decided that due to rising costs, notably with regard to freight, and a number of teams hitting the ceiling of this season’s $140million budget cap, it is in the sport’s interests to limit the calendar to 22 races.
Asked as to how much money a team such as Haas will be saving this year without the additional race, Steiner said: “The transport costs this year are big.
“I don’t know the exact itinerary costs, [but] it’s for sure a few million [dollars] we are saving.”
Haas relief at ‘just’ 22 races
Steiner then explained there was an offset, however, given a clause in the budget cap agreement between the teams, F1 and the FIA.
He added: “But then again, over a certain amount of races, you get extra budget cap money which now will not come.
“Over 21, you get an extra $1.2million in the budget cap, something like this, so we will not get that.”
Naturally, Steiner has confirmed a degree of relief among team personnel there will now no longer be another likely flyaway to a destination like Qatar, or even a second race in Singapore.
Any replacement was due to start a triple-header but instead, there will now be a two-week gap between the back-to-back European races in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy and then what is now a double-header in Singapore and Japan.
Asked as to the feelings of his staff, Steiner said: “I haven’t asked them, I don’t want to ask them because I know the answer.
“With a triple-header in Asia, some people are away for four weeks when we go there, so for sure, cutting a week off for them, they’re not unhappy about it.”
