Mercedes F1 technical chief Paddy Lowe has backed F1's August shutdown. Tension is brewing between Bernie Ecclestone and the teams at present, as the four-week summer gap in the calendar has been shrunk to three weeks on the expanded calendar for 2016. For the past several seasons, the month-long hiatus has meant teams have enough time to – for instance this year – regroup after Hungary, shut down completely for two full weeks, and then prepare for the Belgian grand prix in late August. 'It is a very good system,' Lowe is quoted by Brazil's UOL. 'It is designed to save money, which is its primary purpose,' he explained, but Lowe said it is also crucial simply to give staff a...
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