F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Brawn - 'Triple header' in 2018 is emergency measure

Ross Brawn says that exceptional circumstances forced Formula 1 to schedule a 'triple header' for teams in 2018.

Next year's calendar will include 21 races, three of which - France, Austria and Britain - will be held on consecutive weekends.

But F1's sporting boss has made clear that the heavy schedule, and subsequent burden on the teams, was dictated by uncommon events outside of Formula 1, insisting the 'triple header' is an exception and shall never become the norm.

"The (football) world cup presented us with a very unusual problem," Brawn told Sky Germany.

"The final is in the afternoon and it would have been very unfair to have run a race on that weekend," he added.

"We could only solve that by having three races in a row but it's not something we want to repeat in the future. It was an emergency measure," Brawn said.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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