With the prospect of an African Grand Prix edging closer, key figures in Formula 1 insist that the sport's calendar should not exceed its current 24-race limit.
Max Verstappen, in Rwanda for his community service and the FIA prize-giving gala, also witnessed the nation's president, Paul Kagame, formally announce a bid for a grand prix.
"We want to become the Singapore of Africa," Kagame told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "A big thank you to Stefano Domenicali and the entire team at F1, for the good progress in our discussions so far."
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem echoed Kagame's enthusiasm for an African GP. "I feel that Rwanda deserves more. Africa deserves more," Ben Sulayem said. "And look at Rwanda today—safe, nice, and hospitable."
However, logistical strain on the current F1 calendar remain pressing issues. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has suggested introducing a rotation system for races to accommodate new venues without expanding the calendar further.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff stressed that the current 24-race calendar is already too much.
"We're over the limit," Wolff told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "People like me travel comfortably, but the mechanics who set up and dismantle the car are flying economy. You can see in people's faces now—it can't go on anymore."
GPDA chairman Alex Wurz also voiced his concerns. "Personally, I think it's too much," Wurz said. "I would prefer 16 races, simply because of the sporting saturation."
Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, who raced in the early 1970s when F1 held around a dozen races per season, agrees.
"I think 24 is absolutely the limit," Marko said. "We in senior management are privileged, but we have to think about the mechanics.
"They also need to coordinate the whole sequence better in order to keep these 24 races on the calendar," the 81-year-old added. "But in my opinion, more than 24 is not possible due to the strain. Unless you start having teams with two separate crews."
The Concorde Agreement theoretically allows for up to 25 races per season.
