“I think multiple triple-headers are not sustainable,” said former Racing Point team boss Otmar Szafnauer in September 2020.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” said former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner around the same time.
And in 2021, McLaren’s former team boss Andreas Seidl – now Sauber CEO – added his voice to the concerns about triple headers saying: “[An] important topic is also the number of triple-headers.
“From my point of view, we should avoid them completely, again to reduce the burden on our people. The calendar should try to get through with avoiding any triple-headers.”
As Formula 1 teams gear up for back-to-back races in Barcelona, the Red Bull Ring in Austria and Silverstone, it is worth reminding ourselves of the initial reaction to the triple-headers.
It is perhaps worth noting too that the comments are from team principals who fly at the front of the plane, rather than those in economy or making the long drives in between the destinations, or from those responsible for the physical tasks of building and dismantling the giant motorhomes or the cars, or those in the kitchens or hospitality units who are in essence working triple-shifts each day.
The growth of the calendar to 24 races, a record number this season and at the maximum the rules permit, has resulted in two triple-headers this season and the aforementioned European leg could result in a 3,000-mile journey by road across the three destinations.
Crates are unpacked between Red Bull and FIA transporters
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
But the second triple-header at the tail end of the season is an entirely different proposition when you factor in time differences and jet lag and travel fatigue.
The final three races in 2024 start in Las Vegas before races in Qatar and then Abu Dhabi. It is a 10-hour time swing before you even start the 17-hour journey from the US to the Middle East.
Despite the concerns from the team bosses, triple-headers are now part of the fabric of modern F1 and, as a result, are largely accepted.
But are there any dangers associated with such a heavy work schedule and what can be done to prevent those risks?
Autosport spoke with Head of Sport Science at the Sport Science Agency, Dr Tom Brownlee in conjunction with Dr Dan Martin, owner of Combine Performance who works with F1 teams and drivers.
Martin said: “The biggest issue is physical fatigue. As time goes on by week three there are always very…
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