Jenson Button warns Formula 1 should not expand beyond 24 races. Speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2026 before the Singapore Grand Prix, he cites unsustainable strain on team personnel.

Button says drivers manage the schedule, but mechanics, engineers, and logistics staff absorb the hardest load. They face relentless turnarounds that undermine rest, recovery, and family time.

The calendar illustrates the escalation: 17 races in 2009, 21 by 2016, and 24 now. Button views 24 as the practical ceiling for competitive integrity and workforce welfare.

He contrasts drivers’ private flights with crews packing garages late, freighting equipment, then returning to factory shifts. Margins for error widen when fatigue seeps into builds and pit operations.

Button acknowledges the passion that keeps teams pushing, yet warns the cumulative travel risk becomes unfair. Stability, not further expansion, protects morale, retention, and consistent car preparation.

He accepts the demand from promoters signals F1’s strength. But he cautions rising ticket prices could exclude fans, arguing for sensible caps to sustain accessibility and atmosphere at grands prix.

On technology, Button notes hybrids deliver efficiency but add complexity that alienates some viewers. He prefers sustainable-fuel combustion engines that preserve visceral sound while meeting environmental targets.

He cites running historic machinery on sustainable fuels at Goodwood as proof of concept. The message is clarity, spectacle, and credible progress, not engineering opacity for the audience.

Button also highlights shifting demographics. The fanbase skews younger with a near 50-50 gender split, improving trackside energy and engagement compared to the older, male-dominated crowds of his era.

He points to his wife’s recent race visits, including practice days, as evidence of a more welcoming environment that broadens appeal beyond traditional followers.

Around Singapore, interest surges from build-up through sprint qualifying, underscoring F1’s commercial pull even as operational limits bite.

The balance Button describes is clear: cap the calendar, protect crews, moderate pricing, and pursue cleaner combustion solutions without losing the sport’s immediacy.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.