Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost says Formula One should travel to more places outside Europe.
With Germany eventually dropped from the 2017 calendar, there will be only seven races - out of 20 events - held on the Old continent, which remains the heartland of the sport and its fandom. Europe will get back an extra date the following season though, with Circuit Paul Ricard set to make a return in 2018 to end a ten-year hiatus for France.
“For me, we must head to other destinations, there are too many European grands prix,” Tost told Austrian publication Tiroler Tageszeitung when asked about Le Castellet coming back.
“I know that I have a different opinion compared to my colleagues, but we should go [back] to South Africa, we need more races in the USA, we need to go [back] to Argentina, and India would also be a really important market.
“Formula One is a global sport. In 2015, half a billion people watched our races live. Such viewing figures are only achieved by the football World Cup and the Olympic Games.
“We have [grands prix] every two weeks. The product is still working, but it can always be improved.”
F1 new owners Liberty Media already said they wanted to add more races to the calendar, possibly extending its schedule to include up to 25 events with extra events in Latin America, Asia and the United States.
2016 team-by-team review: Part two
2016 team-by-team review: Part one
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Sky F1's Martin Brundle suspects George Russell has every reason to look back on Monza…
On this day in 1979, Jody Scheckter delivered the world title to himself and to…
The legend of the Iceman officially enters its next generation. Robin Räikkönen, the 11-year-old karting…
Lewis Hamilton has moved to extinguish any fears that his opening-lap clash with Charles Leclerc…
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has watched Kimi Antonelli’s rise from promising rookie to Formula 1…
Williams is turning the clock back in Madrid, swapping the familiar modern-day colours of its…