Brown suggests 30 venues for F1, but rotating races

40

McLaren boss Zak Brown would like to see F1 race at 30 venues in profitable markets in the future, but with a contingent of rotating races that would limit the season to 21 or 22 events.

Last month, Formula 1 kicked off its record 23-race season in Bahrain, but the sport could expand its calendar in the future to reach its allowed limit of 25 events.

F1 continues to tap into the lucrative American market with the addition of Las Vegas which was confirmed by F1 last week and which will sit alongside Austin and Miami on next year's schedule.

Brown believes that three races in the U.S. are justified but adding more races in certain countries or in new territories should lead to a rotation of events rather than to an outright expansion of F1's calendar in the future.

"I think these are three awesome markets," said Brown, commenting to Reuters on America's trio of championship rounds.

"I think it's almost the perfect schedule from an American standpoint.

"If you could wave a magic wand, I'd like to see something like 21 or 22 races. Seventeen or eighteen as permanent fixtures and seven or eight that rotate," he added.

"Because I do think, to continue to grow the sport, the more quality markets we can be in, the better.

"I think there are 'A markets' and 'B markets' that we race in. Maybe your 'B markets' [should be] every other year."

Brown: Las Vegas GP glitz puts Monaco under pressure

Regarding Las Vegas, Brown is fully supportive of the novel idea of racing on a Saturday night, and suggests that other events could follow suit with a break of F1 tradition.

"It looks very proper and all the right people are behind it," Brown said of Las Vegas. "I think it’s going to be stunning for Formula 1.

"We want to respect the history of the sport but there’s not many sports that haven’t changed in recent times to adapt to a changing world.

"I think a Saturday night race in Vegas is the obvious thing to do."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.