Brown: Let’s do 20 fixed Grand Prix weekends with eight that rotate

While Formula 1 is booming, demand from aspiring Grand Prix hosts is massive, hence the 24 races that make up the 2025 World Championship. As was the case last year. But McLaren Racing CEO Brown suggests not milking the situation, but rather downsizing to a 20-race season with variables.

Speaking on a Bloomberg podcast, Brown said: “What we’re doing is working, so we need to keep improving incrementally. Don’t change the formula too much—we’re winning as a sport. We’ve got 24 races now, and demand for more. But we can’t go past that.

"My idea is to have 20 fixed races and rotate eight Grands Prix annually to allow for geographic growth like - India, South Africa, Korea - without overloading the calendar."

Looking to the USA, where the sport has taken off since the advent of Netflix's hit series Drive to Survive, with a fan base estimated at around 45-million and growing thanks to this behind-the-scenes exposure of the sport.

Brown continued: "TV ratings in North America show there’s room for growth. Sponsorship is booming. Brands like Google and Goldman Sachs are now in F1. Franchise value has finally caught up; F1 teams are now healthy businesses. Let’s keep doing what we’re doing.

"Netflix helped, and the Brad Pitt F1 movie coming soon will boost visibility even more. Before Liberty Media took over, we lacked diversity, youth engagement, and North American presence. Now we have all of that, and we need to keep exposing fans to what happens behind the scenes," Brown added.