Formula One and FIA reveal 24-race 2024 F1 calendar
FIA and Formula 1 have announced the calendar for the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship, approved by the World Motor Sport Council. The calendar features 24 races and begins in Bahrain on March 2 and finishes in Abu Dhabi on December 8.
The 2024 F1 season is set the kick off in Manama with the Sakhir round having received an unusually early spot. Following the season-opening race, the sport will head to Saudi Arabia with both the Sakhir and the Jeddah races set to take place on a Saturday. This decision has been taken to accommodate Ramadan which begins on the Sunday of the original Saudi Arabian race weekend.
The Chinese Grand Prix will be held for the first time since 2019 on April 21 for round five of the season.
Formula 1 has been eager to move towards greater calendar regionalisation, reducing logistical burdens and making the season more sustainable. By moving Japan to April, Azerbaijan to September and Qatar back-to-back with Abu Dhabi this calendar creates a better flow of races in certain regions.
The sport stated that “work will continue while being realistic to the fact that as a world championship, with climactic and contractual constraints, there will always be travel required that cannot be completely regionalised.”
Furthermore, the 2024 F1 calendar is set to feature a record-breaking schedule as it incorporates a total of 24 races. Although the current season was set to sport the same number of rounds, the cancellation of the Chinese and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix meant that the current championship is being contested over 22 rounds.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “I am delighted to announce the 2024 calendar with 24 races that will deliver an exciting season for our fans around the world. There is huge interest and continued demand for Formula 1, and I believe this calendar strikes the right balance between traditional races and new and existing venues.
"I want to thank all of the promoters and partners for their support and effort to achieve this great schedule. Our journey to a more sustainable calendar will continue in the coming years as we further streamline operations as part of our Net Zero 2030 commitment. We have plenty of racing to look forward to in 2023, including the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, and our fans can look forward to more excitement next season.”
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, said: “The planned 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, that has been approved by the Motor Sport Council Members, demonstrates some important steps towards our shared goals.
"We want to make the global spectacle of Formula 1 more efficient in terms of environmental sustainability and more manageable for the travelling staff who dedicate so much of their time to our sport. Stefano Domenicali and his team have done a great job to both bring in new and exciting venues in emerging markets for Formula 1, and stay true to the sport's long and remarkable heritage.
"Each race can only happen thanks to the collaboration between the FIA, FOM, the promoters, and the host ASNs who bring together the thousands of volunteer marshals and support personnel so that we can go racing, and as we forge ahead into the future we must ensure that our priorities grow and develop with the needs of society and what is best for our sport, our fans and our environment," concluded Ben Sulayem.
