The human cost to replacing Formula 1's cancelled rounds

By:

Jake Boxall-Legge

Jun 8, 2021, 4:52 PM

OPINION: With the global pandemic still lingering, Singapore's grand prix has been cancelled for 2021, with more looking likely to follow. Although Formula 1 has TV deals and profits to chase, retaining a 23-race calendar could be most harmful to those who sacrifice the most for the championship.

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“As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport.” The King Lear quote, famously borrowed by footballing royalty Eric Cantona in a cryptic UEFA award acceptance speech, explores the unjustness and inequitable nature of the world in which we live. In the play, the Earl of Gloucester makes the remark after having his eyes gouged out.

What parallels does this have to Formula 1: a microcosm of society filled with money, privilege and power? Such is its bargaining power across the world, F1 arguably is one of the gods of which Gloucester speaks. It extracts great sums of money from the worlds’ biggest sporting promoters, governments and businesses for the privilege of hosting 20 speedy technological triumphs around a circuit. Of course, the usual offset is the chance to recoup that investment with ticket sales – a revenue stream that has been impacted greatly by the current global health crisis.

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Jake Boxall-Legge

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Jake Boxall-Legge Autosport’s Technical Editor. Having studied Automotive Engineering with Motorsport at the University of Hertfordshire, West Country-born Jake's original ambition was to design racing cars. During a year between studies in which he accidentally rekindled a love of writing, he took up a Master's in Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes. Halfway through his master's year, he was offered a place on the Autosport Academy, conducting occasional freelance duties before becoming the press officer for Formula 2 and GP3 in 2018. Autosport offered him a return to the fold later that year to serve as its Technical Editor. His voice appears on a number of videos and podcasts, and can often be found writing about terrible Formula 1 cars in excruciating detail. In his spare time, Jake enjoys baking and blames his failure to make it past the Great British Bake-Off interviews on his tenuous grasp on choux pastry. His dream is to open a brunch cafe - and his willingness to make outrageous puns in inappropriate situations has earned him the contempt of his colleagues.