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F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said that there is a focus on having the 'right mix' when finalising the 2023 calendar.
When asked about a timeline, the Italian said that a final version of the new F1 calendar would be out in two weeks. He said:
"We really hope to formalise the future very, very soon, in the next two weeks, we will circulate the final version of the 2023 calendar."
Domenicali also touched on concerns that this weekend might be the last Belgian GP. He said that the key is to find the right mix for an F1 calendar, elaborating:
"I want to say that I never said that this weekend will be the last Belgian Grand Prix, but we are talking to many promoters, including those from Spa. The balance will be finding the right mix, with a third of the races in Europe, a third in the Middle East, and the remainder in the American area."
Hinting that the historic venues like Spa-Francorchamps may not be jettisoned for financial reasons, he added:
"The financial contribution of the investments is very important, but we have always said that historical competitions, even if they cannot guarantee the money that other promoters bring, have our full respect".
What are F1 CEO's expectations for 2022 season?
The 2021 F1 championship battle was spectacular. Irrespective of the incidents in last race of the season, the championship battle would go down as one of the best in the history of the sport. So what are Domenicali's expectations for this season?
The F1 CEO said hopes that the championship winner this season will be decided in the last race, like in 2021.
"What to say? I would like to see another world title awarded on the last lap of the last race! Eighty points (what currently separates Leclerc from Verstappen) is a lot, but in my previous experience, I remember well the 2007 season, when with two races to go, we were 17 points behind (the system preceded 10 points for the winner). Nobody really expected it, and instead in the end, Kimi was world champion ".
Domenicali admitted that he cannot speculate what would happen, as F1 can be a sport full of 'surprises', as there are many variables. Nevertheless, he hopes for another rousing season, saying:
"In my position, I cannot comment, but I believe that no one will give up, and we could also find ourselves in front of some surprises; in this sport there are errors, reliability problems, variables related to the weather, who can be sure? 'sold out', and I am sure that Formula 1 will offer a great show ”.
With Max Verstappen leading Charles Leclerc by 80 points heading into the Belgian GP, the Ferrari driver has his job cut out to deny Verstappen back-to-back championships. Nevertheless, weirder things have happened in the past, so it remains to be seen how things pan out.
