Formula 1 races will go back to their normal length in 2028, after the maximum distance was trimmed for next season.
For 2027 the maximum race distance was cut by 15km, from 305km (189.5 miles) to 290km (180.2 miles). That odd move came out of the knock-on effects of the engine rule changes due next year.
The background is this. The new hybrid engines introduced this year, with a near 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power, have been criticised for reducing the impact of driver skill. The split will change in two steps to 60-40 by 2028, which lets drivers use maximum power for longer.
According to BBC Sport: “The power split will be changed, in two steps, to 60-40 by 2028, enabling drivers to have maximum power for longer.
This means the cars will use more fuel – and that became a concern when it emerged some teams wanted to carry their chassis over into next year to save money”
Hamilton, 41, said: “The races should be longer because the races are physically easier than ever before. So shortening, I don’t think, makes much sense.
“This is supposed to be the sport that’s the most physically demanding – mentally and physically. There are some that are just so hot and ultimately you are on the edge. Like Singapore is incredibly hot and demanding.
“But that’s where I think you want to see athletes – just right on the edge, right? Right at the edge of their performance, having to actually push their bodies further because that’s what this sport is about – pushing, pushing the levels and pushing the boundaries.”
