How Formula 1 ended up with its gruelling 24-race calendar for 2023

For those working in the paddock, it was the first sign of just how many weekends would be spent away from home next year. People joked about the upcoming boom in business for divorce lawyers around Oxfordshire, where most F1 teams are based, and shuddered at the copious amount of time about to be spent on flights through next season.

The number of races is not the surprising bit about the calendar. We knew that would be the case, given the plans to add Qatar and…