With an ever expanding race schedule, Toto Wolff reveals that talks are underway to introduce a winter shut-down similar to the mandatory break F1 enjoys in the summer.

With the 2023 calendar featuring 24 races and Liberty Media keen to build on this and thereby add to its coffers, teams are already fearing burn-out among their employees.

This year's schedule come to an end in late November, while last year's Abu Dhabi was held just two weeks before Christmas. To further add to the workload, there was the massive rules overhaul.

The teams are already anticipating a possible break as the season ends early, but Toto Wolff has revealed that there are plans for a mandatory shut-down.

"There are many of us team principals that would like to replicate what we have in the summer," he said, according to Motorsport.com. "At least starting at Christmas and going into the new year for two weeks.

"Obviously that's still up for discussion," he admitted, "but there was a positive indication for the well-being of the people. For the race team that's clocking many airline miles, that's a positive."

Talks have already been held with the Sporting Advisory Committee, and while not all teams are in agreement, it is hoped to include the mandatory break in the next version of the regulations.

"It's great that the season finishes this couple of weeks earlier than in the past, because everyone is really at the limit," Wolff admitted. "Having this week, two weeks more is definitely a nice welcome.

"But on the other side, there's many people in the factory who are going to work flat out between Christmas and New Year."

Alpine's Alan Permane, admits that the early end to this season, the earliest since 2019, is much appreciated by his colleagues.

"It's very welcome," he said. "Last year was really tough, finishing the week before Christmas, or whatever we did, I can't remember. But it's welcome.

"It is it is a tough Championship," he added. "I think the way that we are geared up and the way our mechanics operate, and then their working practices, it works well. They're certainly happy with it. Another two races will stretch that a little bit next year. But our programme will be, we'll come back from Abu Dhabi, we'll spend the week after in the factory sorting things out and have a relatively easy week there, and then they will disappear off for three or four weeks and have a good break. So yeah, it's welcome."

"It is it is an intense season, a long season," said Ferrari's Laurent Mekies. "Somehow, it is nice to have this season after two COVID seasons, also, for the race team travelling it's a lot more enjoyable to come to the races in the non-COVID scenario and a lot less stress as well. So, we welcome the early finish.

"Everybody we need to recharge: the teams; drivers and... getting ready for two more next year. I think, if you look at the calendar, it's a very well done calendar for next year if you consider that you have to fit these 24 races so if you add that with the enthusiasm that we see out there with the fans and all the energy around the races, it's... we are all going to go and rest, recharge and come back next year."

"It works out well with the World Cup as well, doesn't it?" said Andrew Shovlin. "I think last year was particularly difficult with a new car. So, one season just rolled straight into the next and I think on the engineering side, there really wasn't much of a break. You can't do that year after year.

"So it is a good opportunity to take holiday and when you actually look at the calendar and the shutdowns, you describe a lot of the holiday that people can take, so at least now there is a bit of a bit of freedom for people to decide exactly when they have a break."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Max Noble, 04/11/2022 7:52

"I’ve worked in many organisations where key staff end-up with well over twelve weeks of annual leave “in the bank” because they simply will not take time off. I think a Christmas shutdown to force the obsessed to breathe between seasons is an excellent idea. Given no one critical to success is going to get more than a few days off in a row during the season, they actually have very few options for when to take a few weeks off, other than shutdown periods.

This is a logical idea which actually aids workers in each team. Especially now that the free soft drinks, coffee, ice cream, and fruit bowls are all within the cost cap, and thus about to vanish as fast as Business Class travel for the great unwashed employee masses during the GFC (never to return…).
"

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2. Posted by Great_white_shark, 03/11/2022 21:48

"This is really a non-issue. The Race Team is not so busy between the end of the season and a couple of weeks before the car is unveiled. Talking about them racking up a lot of air miles is irrelevant.

The problem is you only have a limited number of holidays and when you have a shut down like the one in summer, you HAVE to book them off as holiday. So if you have 24 days to take a year, you have to book off 10 for the summer shutdown and now you will have to book another 5 or 10 in winter. What's left of you holiday? Nothing. Some employees are for this idea but the vast majority are against it. If you want to take time off, take it yourself but don't force us all to take it. "

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Teams eye winter shut-down

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