Ricciardo happy for F1 weekends to be two-day events

Renault Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo reckons reducing grand prix weekends into two-day events would make balancing an ever-expanding calendar “more doable”.

This weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix has been affected by Typhoon Hagibis, with F1 deciding to cancel all track running on Saturday and move qualifying to Sunday morning, just hours before the start of the race.

It has left teams and drivers with just two days of on-track action and a pair of practice sessions - instead of the usual three - to prepare for qualifying and the race on Sunday.

Suzuka marks the 17th round of a 21-race calendar this year, with the addition of the Vietnam GP next season taking F1 to an unprecedented 22 grands prix, while the sport’s owners Liberty Media are keen to expand to around 25 events per year in the future.

“You can get enough done in two days and shorter weekends,” Ricciardo said.

“With 22 races next year, instead of being at a weekend for five days, arrive Wednesday and leave Sunday or Monday, to shorten it by a day would be nice.

“It would make the 22 races more doable. As F1 we do too much practice. I don’t think we need four hours.

“A lot of the time we are limited by tyres as well. I’d be happy to have a bit less track time and squeeze it in.”

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The disruption caused by Typhoon Hagibis has left drivers in the unfamiliar scenario of finding themselves with a day off midway through the race weekend on Saturday.

Asked how he planned to spend his day off, the Australian joked: “I was going to go to the beach. Probably take a jet ski out.

“Everything is going to be closed. We could go for a swim. Let’s all get together, tell stories, it could be a chance for everyone to get rid of technology for a day.

“And do things that people used to do. Maybe we could get around, light a little fire, tell some stories.

"I don’t know, find a bar or something,” he added. “What else do you do? WIFI is going to be down. Millennials are going to struggle.”