Zak Brown pushes F1 20-plus-8 calendar plan

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says Formula 1 should settle on 20 permanent grands prix and rotate another eight every other year, arguing that is the only realistic way to expand into new markets without stretching an already punishing 24-race season even further.

Speaking at an event ahead of the Miami Grand Prix attended by media including RacingNews365, Brown said he wants the sport to keep growing but believes the current calendar is already at its practical limit. “There are countries lining up for grands prix,” Brown said. “So, I think we need to, and I would be a fan of, locking in 20 permanent grands prix and then having maybe eight that rotate every other year. It's a way to expand geographically into 28 markets, but we can't race more than 24 times a year; it's a pretty brutal schedule.”

Brown pointed to the Belgium and Barcelona races as proof that the model is already beginning to take shape. Spa-Francorchamps and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya are set to enter a rotational arrangement from next year, with Spa scheduled to host in 2027, 2029 and 2031, and Barcelona taking the race in 2028, 2030 and 2032.

That approach matters because competition for places on the calendar is only increasing. Brown said South Africa, Thailand and South Korea are all pushing for a slot, while Portugal is due to return in 2027 for at least two seasons and Turkey is set to come back from next year in a deal expected to last five years.

Even with the Concorde Agreement allowing up to 25 races, Brown made clear he does not want Formula 1 to go beyond the current 24-round schedule. His argument is that rotation gives the championship room to grow geographically without adding more travel and workload for drivers, teams and the rest of the paddock.