Famously a week is a long time in politics. For F1 four weeks feels like a lifetime. And because the teams will have all of this free time they will be spending it relentlessly improving the car. Will it make any difference? Well we simply don’t know.

So why does this big gap exist when it never used to happen? I believe the answer is, as usual, Bernie.

Bernie wants twenty races a year.

The teams are happy with seventeen.

He points out how the new circuits pay much more money than the old circuits.

But say the teams the old circuits have character and class we don’t want to loose them.

Bernie says exactly, why not have both.

They say, yes but it would mean being away from home too long.

He says is that your only concern?

Well yes and that if we are away that long we’ll have to have two race teams and that could get more expensive than a few extra races.

But, says Bernie we’ll ban testing. There won’t be time between all of the races, and winter testing is pointless anyway, and it makes the races more predictable. It detracts from the spectacle. Just use that team.

But say the teams the season will still be too long.

Well, says Bernie, you forget. I control the calendar. So I can make the season as long as I like.

But if you make the season longer and don’t have any races to fill in there will be all of these annoying gaps in the season.

All the better to fill them with races.

But won’t the fans hate the gaps?

Well, says Bernie, when they complain I’ll blame you.