Red Bull boss Christian Horner proposes ‘invitational’ GP idea for F1

Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes a one-off “invitation race” each season could 💝help boost intrigue and excitement surroundin🎀g the Formula 1 calendar.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced F1 to revise its original♓ 22-round schedule into a 17-race campaign, with the sport adapting to the disruption by creating a unique calendar.
While the likes of classic races such as Monaco, Canada and Su♓zuka have been called off, other traditional venues including Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Mo🗹nza have held events, while F1 has is visiting new venues like Mugello and Portimao.
F1 will also return to some favourite🎉 former venues this year including the Nurburgring, Imola and Turkey, all of which are stepping in for the cancelled rounds𓃲 in the Americas and Asia.
Following the success of the inaugural Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello, which was well received by fans, teams and drivers alike, Horner feels F1 can learn from the positives of the situation and raised the suggestion of invitin🧔g different circuits to stage a race in the future.
"It is gr🀅eat that F1 are going to these different venues and we have some more coming up in Istanbul and Imola,” Horner wrote when reflecting on the Tuscan GP weekend in his latest Red Bull column.
“It keeps up🍸 the competition for a place for one of the 22 slots on the calendar and I think it would be good to have s♑ome sort of invitation race once a year to take in these different tracks."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said he “liked the concept” of a varied calendar, whilꦛe William♏s driver George Russell agreed with Horner’s view.
"It is a great job to꧒ F1 to give us that opportunity," Rus🧜sell said.
"Maybe we need to do this more often, moving forward. Maybe﷽ every year we need two joker races or something."
F1 heads🐎 to Sochi this weekend for the Russian Grand Prix, which marks the first standalone event of the compact 2020 season.
Speaking about Red Bull’s prospects at a track Mercedes remains unbeaten at sinꦡce it joined the calendar in 2014, Hor꧅ner added: "I expect Mercedes to be fired up and pretty dominant as [Sochi] is their type of track.
"But as we have seen this season tyre degradation is an interesting factor. They weren't stretched last weekend but you could hear how nerv🌳ous they were, instructing their drivers to stay off the kerb🌜s.
"So, it would be great if we can be compᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚetitive in Sochi and🐷 put them under a little bit of pressure because that is when things can happen."

Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for ltxcn.top around the world. Often reporting on the action from𒊎 the ground, Lewis tells the storꦕies of the people who matter in the sport.