Tost believes F1 should increase the number of races, rather than decrease them.

      Former Formula 1 team principal Franz Tost has criticized the increasing belief within the sport that the calendar, with its 24 races, has become excessively packed. While drivers enjoy luxurious travel accommodations, many feel that the schedule has become overly taxing for most of the F1 staff, particularly the mechanics. Tost, who stepped down as head of Alpha Tauri at the end of 2023, strongly disagrees with this perspective.

      "People often claim that the mechanics are overwhelmed with work," he stated to Sport Marke Medien. "That's completely absurd. They aren't overworked at all." The 69-year-old Austrian stated that having 24 races is perfectly acceptable.

      He reminisced about his entry into Formula 1 in the 1990s while supporting Ralf Schumacher, noting that the schedule was significantly more demanding back then. "We had races on weekends and tested on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday," he recalled. "Initially, we even had two test cars, and the same mechanics and engineers handled everything. I never heard any complaints from them back then."

      Tost pointed out that nowadays there is a curfew in Formula 1, prohibiting work from 9 PM until 8 AM the following day. "Goodness! What more do they want? Working in Formula 1 is a privilege." He dismissed the notion of work-life balance as "pointless" and said it caters to those who are too lazy to put in the effort.

      Some argue that Formula 1 should revert to more intensive on-track testing while reducing the number of races. Tost countered this viewpoint, saying, "If you believe testing is necessary, that’s an outdated mindset. Testing is utterly useless. It merely serves as a playtime for engineers. The real profits come from races; more races equate to more revenue for Formula 1."

      Tost asserted that F1 could even increase the calendar beyond the already unprecedented 24 races each season. "The year consists of 52 weeks," he explained. "Having a race every other week would make sense. There could potentially be 26 races." He noted that his stance isn’t a result of retirement; he has always advocated for more races. "I consistently had heated debates with my former colleagues who argued that 18 to 20 races max was sufficient. I always questioned, 'Are you a racing team or a vacation team?'"