FIA president Jean Todt has slammed criticism from F1 personal over the possibility of an expansion of the F1 calendar saying that they should acknowledge that they are privileged to work in the sport.
The former Peugeot Sport and Scuderia Ferrari team manager spoke out after criticism from such drivers as Max Verstappen that an expanded calendar would lead to divorces.
“I think it will be a long process before being close to 25 races, probably so much emphasis on speculating and assessing 25 races, and at the moment we should concentrate on 22, which is the situation.
“Now about what it does represent, here, I may have a different point of view. I really feel that, and I include myself, we are so blessed to be in a world where we love what we do. We have the passion.
“We are privileged. Whoever is in F1 is privileged.“
Jean Todt
“Of course, you have some duties. When I was in other positions as Ferrari team principal, I was working 18 hours every day, seven days, six or seven days a week, because I had passion, I wanted a result.
“Then, of course, the family, if you have a beloved family, they will understand. And you don’t do that for all your life.”
Todt also spoke about his ongoing roles at the united nations promoting road safety in developing countries as he also said that F1 personal should feel blessed with the salaries they earn whilst some struggle to eat and drink.
“Believe me, I do a lot in the other activities in my life, where I see people, if they are blessed, they get $30 a month. Being blessed in certain countries. So we should not forget that, We should be decent, and thinking that it does happen.
“You have an eight billion population globally, and you have 800 million people not able to eat, to drink, to get a vaccination.
“We’re here to talk about F1, but we must not close our eyes and forget what is happening, for other people, for other communities, I feel again, we have to be blessed, and all those who are in F1, with much higher salaries, incidentally, than any other business, should be very happy. It doesn’t mean that it’s not hardworking and all that, but simply assessing the position.”
