It seems that Mercedes GP wants 24 Grand Prix in the Formula 1 calendar, but Ferrari is not so happy about the ideea.

Williams was the first team that has expressed support for extending the competitive schedule of 20 to 24 races, and also eliminating the Friday free practice sessions.

The proposal is also supported by Mercedes GP, as this would generate higher revenue for teams, but the German automaker warns that this will be possible only by keeping costs to an acceptable level.

“To be clear, we’re all delighted that they’re increasing the number of races. We just need to manage the situation properly because especially the races which are coming up, they’re great for Formula 1, so we will support them 100 percent. There are consumables involved: we use more engines, we use more brakes, we use things like that. We’ve got flights, we’ve got hotels, but a lot of the core costs are spent before you even go to the first race,” said Ross Brawn, Team Leader Mercedes GP

However, the idea of a 24-race season is not pleasing Scuderia Ferrari, which considers the optimal number is 20 Grands Prix.

“I hope it’s not 24 to be honest because I always thought about 20. But that’s my personal view. I like other things. Anyway, I don’t know if we’ve discussed 24 but if there’s more money, as we said, it’s good. For me, 20 is a good number,” said Stefano Domenicali, head of Scuderia Ferrari.

The pressures over the Formula 1 calendar are getting bigger, because there are more and more countries that want to host a Grand Prix. The 2011 Formula 1 season will have 20 races after the India inclusion,and the US will com back in Formula 1 in 2012. Other races will be hosted in the near future by Rome (2013) and Russia (2014), and until now it is not sure what races will be eliminated from the F1 calendar.