Hamilton and Alonso threaten Liberty Media with F1 exit over possible calendar change

Maybe they don't love it so much. They've achieved world championships, younger drivers who don't have race wind are much more inclined to stay on, rather than guys who are in the latter stages of their careers

I think they're just reflecting the attitudes of other team personnel in Formula 1. 25 races won't stop me from watching F1 but with more races, drivers and team members alike lose free time and spend more time travelling and away from families. That's what a calendar extension threatens - a personal life.

It threatens both personal life and the economy of the teams, and since they need to make sure their parts last the entire season, they will have to be in constant preservation mode, thus damaging the entertainment of the sport to boot. But its probably more constructive to talk with the owners than throwing around threats.

Yeah, communication can improve the situation instead of threatening to quit. A threat to quit from two of the sport's biggest names sends a strong message to Liberty Media though and can serve as a big reminder that the competitors do have a life outside of Formula 1.

F1FAN0101: That may be, but even then, I find it a bit 'meh' to threaten to quit because the conditions wouldnt be optimal for them anymore. I just dont think its healthy for F1.

Chris: I see your points, and I agree with them, though I dont think its healthy for the sport. I also have this opinion regarding Red Bull's exit threats: sure, its usually a good way to get your points across and a decent way to get your way with things, but I dont think its a healthy thing for F1, and it could damage RB's reputation in the sport.

I don't think Alonso will be in Formula 1 next year anyway with the current situation at McLaren. I would imagine that he would go to IndyCar for the season.

Up until his stint at McLaren, I think that Alonso's talent was kind of hidden. Although I don't want to see him in an uncompetitive car, some of Alonso's performances have been incredible and the McLaren has shown how good a driver he actually is, outperforming the limits of each car since 2015.

Yeah, Alonso's situation is understandable but when a driver has a competitive car, it's difficult to imagine that a driver would threaten to pull out. Both Alonso and Hamilton are in their 30s there now, and when they both started driving there were only 16 or 17 races per season. An extension to 25 races in the space of a single career is a big growth, an if anything, it sends a message to Liberty Media, saying that the idea would be a bad one.

There is more workdays for them than just 100 days of work. We also have the pre season and midseason practice sessions. In between the races and practice sessions, they have to practice in race sims, work out, meet press, attend to meetings held by the teams and various F1 related organisations, etc etc. So they likely have a more busy schedule then some might think.

but he gets 40+ millions a year

Yes, but to say they dont work for it is a bit of an exaggeration. Even with only 20 races, they work significantly more than 100 days a year. No, its not a "real" job, their contribution comes in the form of entertainment rather than anything more useful, but they do work for their cash nevertheless. Do they deserve those ridiculous sums? I dont think so, certainly not 40M.