George Russell says Stefano Domenicali is “open” to addressing concerns the GPDA have about the Formula 1 calendar and schedule. With the calendar continuing to expand as more races are added, the schedule has featured an increasing number of back-to-back races or even triple-headers, with 24 races planned in 2023 before the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix. In addition, the Australian Grand Prix has been moved from its traditional season-opening slot since its return in 2022 to a standalone event – something Russell is not overly keen on. However, the Mercedes driver believes F1 chief Domenicali is willing to listen to the suggestions from the GPDA – of which Russell is a director. Domenicali ‘open” “I think collectively, we have a really strong input,” Russell told media, including RacingNews365.com , when asked how much input the GPDA have when it comes to the calendar and schedule. “Stefano is incredibly open to hear our views and have conversations. “There’s obviously been a lot of talk about how sustainable the calendar is, jumping from the Middle-East to America and back to Europe – and I think in years to come, that will be improved. “For a lot of the fans, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, there are a lot of limitations with the climate; we race at certain events and limitations of street circuits of when [hosts] can open them. “But definitely, I think Australia needs to be back-to-back with a Middle-Eastern race, because almost all of us flew out on Saturday and Sunday [the week before the race]. “All of the mechanics and engineers were likewise, so you’re already losing those additional three or four days, so it makes sense to be back-to-back with a Middle-Eastern race.”
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