Former world champion Jenson Button has issued a firm warning to Formula 1, urging the sport not to expand its racing calendar beyond the current limit of 24 events per season. The British driver, who now serves as an ambassador for the Aston Martin team, believes that adding any more races would place an unsustainable amount of strain on the personnel working tirelessly within the team garages.
Back when Button secured his world championship title in the 2009 season, the Formula 1 calendar featured just 17 races across the globe. That figure steadily climbed to 21 events by the time he officially retired from full-time racing at the end of 2016. With the total now sitting at 24 grands prix in recent years, the workload placed upon mechanics and team members has reached an intensely demanding level.
Speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2026 in Singapore ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP, Button highlighted the stark contrast between the lifestyle of a driver and the grueling routine of the mechanics. He emphasized that while drivers can immediately jet off home after a race weekend, the support staff face relentless packing procedures and straight returns to the factory.
"24 races around the world is really, really tough. So I wouldn’t want to see any more," Button stated while detailing the harsh realities of the modern schedule. "For the drivers, it’s fine. They finish the race, they get on a private jet and go home. But for the mechanics and everyone else that’s working within the team, the pack-up is insane. They also don’t leave the track and go on holiday. They go back to the factory and start working again. The people that are in F1 are obviously passionate about it because they wouldn’t be doing it otherwise. It’s so much time away from your family. So I hope there aren’t more races.">
Aside from raising concerns over team welfare caused by a packed schedule, Button also touched upon the technical complexity of current power units. He cautioned that the sport must avoid becoming overly intricate on the engineering side, ensuring that fans can easily follow and understand the underlying technology without feeling alienated.
Nevertheless, Button acknowledged the incredible growth and popularity that Formula 1 currently enjoys, noting a remarkable shift in the fanbase toward a younger demographic with an even split between male and female spectators. Even so, he maintains that careful limits must be respected to protect both the people operating behind the scenes and the accessibility of the sport for everyday fans.
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