Future Grands Prix?

[bjohnsonsmith]

I liked Estoril. Is it up to Bernie's exacting standards?

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I liked Estoril. Is it up to Bernie's exacting standards?

I doubt it, neither is Interlagos...

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Estoril is according to the FIA table I posted in the assen thread, graded as 2 + 1T, so not currently up to a race standard but ok for testing.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Argentina and Greece? I wouldn't have thought either country is in an economic position to hold a race let alone build a track.

Argentina has race tracks every 100km. They opened quite a few in the past years (JunÃ*n, La Pampa, Rosario, Potrero de los Funes, Termas de RÃ*o Hondo). The latter is being upgraded to FIM 1 for MotoGP.

[bjohnsonsmith]

I'd like to know if those tracks were built before Argentina's current economic woes?

[NaBUru38]

La Pampa opened last year, Jun?*n opened in 2011 if I'm not mistaken.

[hondafan37]

Ecclestone Wants 22-Race Calendar In 2014

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...endar-in-2014/

[wolfhound]

I know there are 2 new GP's due next year, New Jersey and Russia but I am not aware of any other new GP for next year. That all assumes all the current events remain on the calender.

[chillibowl]

he says the teams could deal with 22 races but as a fan i dont think i could!

the 19/20 we have now is already a bit much for me. around 15 is probably ideal for me but just curious to know what the rest of you think.

not so much about which tracks they should be at (lots of those threads) but just about how many you think there should be in total. maybe a poll if the mods think its worth it.

[wolfhound]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

he says the teams could deal with 22 races but as a fan i dont think i could!

the 19/20 we have now is already a bit much for me. around 15 is probably ideal for me but just curious to know what the rest of you think.

not so much about which tracks they should be at (lots of those threads) but just about how many you think there should be in total. maybe a poll if the mods think its worth it.

I would tend to agree with you, if you want a life outside of F1.

I find that I now only watch about 50% of the races live and maybe highlights of another 25%. With less races it is easier to make time to see every race.

[Scooter185]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

he says the teams could deal with 22 races but as a fan i dont think i could!

the 19/20 we have now is already a bit much for me. around 15 is probably ideal for me but just curious to know what the rest of you think.

not so much about which tracks they should be at (lots of those threads) but just about how many you think there should be in total. maybe a poll if the mods think its worth it.

growing up watching NASCAR, i'm used to 30+ weeks of racing, so I definitely wouldn't mind seeing 22-25 races.

[chunterer]

There's no problem with more as long as they are viable, long term venues in countires that offer both the sport and the public something tangible.

Mexico is definitely coming that's obvious and that could be around for a long time. Russia may end up being a 'Turkey' either short term or on-off accordfing to interest levels and money.

What we don't need is random far east or middle eastern nations clogging up the calender which don't contribute a great deal to the traditions of the sport and are only there for the PR or tourism revenues F1 gives them.

[Purist]

The 2014 slate could include three new venues: New Jersey, Sochi, and Bangkok.

Now, if things get too shaky on a certain peninsula, all the events in east and southeast Asia could be in jeopardy: Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

(Considering that even China is hardening their public line on North Korea, one has to be at least a bit concerned about what may be going on there.)

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by chunterer

What we don't need is random far east or middle eastern nations clogging up the calender which don't contribute a great deal to the traditions of the sport and are only there for the PR or tourism revenues F1 gives them.

Maybe we should look at countries with large and growing auto manufacturing industries and drop those whose industries are in decline?
Don't think it will happen but remember the world is no longer Euro-centric and North America is no longer the global economic power house.

[Marcus666]

If Kim Jong-un decides to try out their future nuclear robot, then I hope he will put the Yeongam circuit as the target! That track is pure ****!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Oldtony

Maybe we should look at countries with large and growing auto manufacturing industries and drop those whose industries are in decline?
Don't think it will happen but remember the world is no longer Euro-centric and North America is no longer the global economic power house.

It's already heading thay way to some degree. Brazil, China, Mexican venues either already there or coming?

There's a great deal of manufacturer activity in Poland, more so than Russia which why it surprises me that the former isn't ahead of the latter in the queue for a race.

I guess these examples of where there is already much car building and not so much new manufacturing though?

[BSchneiderFan]

Around 16 or 17 races a season would seem ideal to me. Gives just that little extra room for other disciplines to breathe.

[Cougar]

South Africa, Cape Town looking less likely at the moment.

http://www.supersport.com/motorsport...o_to_F1_racing

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Cougar

South Africa, Cape Town looking less likely at the moment.

http://www.supersport.com/motorsport...o_to_F1_racing

That's a shame! I was really looking forward to that. Cape Town's a beautiful city and definitely on everyone's travel bucket lists if they haven't gone already... certainly on my top 10!

I can definitely see the South African Grand Prix in the near future, probably in Johannesburg since that's where the big money is. Also, it is close geographically with Pretoria and somewhat close to Durban. Bernie's got to be thinking about Durban, as well. I think that could be possible, and if Durban was hiding away some cash they just completely called their own bluff. Africa used to be just a big heaving mess of politics, humanity, and untamed geography, but now it seems to be a bit more modern than it used to be, especially since the World Cup of 2010. Johannesburg... that's the place for F1. However, Casablanca, Morocco seems to be putting some big pressure onto bidding for upcoming Summer Olympic Games (2024 or 2028). In 11 years, we may seem them in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. So if they are dedicated to the Olympics, what stopping them from pulling a Sochi and making a racetrack out of an Olympic Park, too? For me, the two big candidates for Africa are South Africa and Morocco. Maybe Egypt if they get their act together politically.

Bangkok would basically be another Sepang, Shanghai, Buddh, or Yeongam... probably the same uninspired style, but one can only hope that maybe Tilke will stop hogging the track designing spot. Indonesia is probably on the map as well... refurbishing Sentul could be an option.

I'm sure Ecclestone is looking at Mexico City. Maybe not Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, because if Bernie thinks Interlagos needs renovating, it is nothing compared to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. But that's definitely on the map. The French Grand Prix is probably desperate to get back on the calendar, and Argentina showed some interest, and we've got Sochi confirmed. Finally, if Istanbul wins the election for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, that may just give them enough of a push to get the Turkish GP back in action... they would already be zapped of money, but being in the world news every day and having millions of people watching your country's soil on television has to boost moral... and that's really what they need, I think.

About AHR in Mexico City: it is not possible for them to lengthen the preexisting track. They are running into the same problem as Circuit Gilles Villeneuve... they are surrounded on all four corners will geographical barriers, Montreal's being water and AHR's being buildings.

Sao Paulo is coming under a lot of heat recently as Ecclestone said it needed renovation for him to continue the contract. I think it is time to scratch Interlagos off the calendar and start building another Formula 1 racetrack where you aren't surrounded on all four corners by shanties.

This is all pure speculation, however. Nevertheless, I think we can come up with a basic idea of what the 2014 schedule will consist of (in no particular order)...

1. Yas Marina
2. New Jersey
3. Melbourne
4. Bahrain
5. Spa
6. Interlagos
7. Silverstone
8. Montreal
9. Shanghai
10. Hockenheim
11. Hungary
12. New Delhi
13. Monza
14. Yeongam
15. Sepang
16. Monaco
17. Sochi
18. Singapore
19. Valencia
20. COTA
21. Istanbul
22. Paul Ricard

In 2015, we could probably see Zagreb, Bangkok, Africa (probably South Africa or Morocco), and Mexico City on the calendar.

That's my two cents.

[werner]

You just put down a lot of speculations, but at least had some arguments or reasoning. Exept for 1 track; Zagreb. Is there any reason for calling that city?

[Purist]

There's a track diagram floating around for a Croatian Grand Prix at Zagreb. It is a Tilke concept, heavily based on the Austin layout (too much so), just run in the opposite direction.

My main thought is that Beetle's timeline is WAY too short. That is, there's NO WAY that we will be adding anywhere near all of those potential venues in just the next two seasons, if they ever join the calendar in some cases.

It looks like the Spanish Grand Prix may well stay at Barcelona, and Valencia may simply disappear. Who knows if Paul Ricard (or any French circuit) or Istanbul have a shot of returning. A number of the Asian rounds may be on shaky ground, because of demands from Bernie for upgrades, as well as the sanction fees preventing any promoters from making a profit. (The Chinese government is having to become more and more careful about visibly spending money on extravagant things.) I might add that Beetle completely left out the off-and-on rumblings of an Argentine Grand Prix at Mar del Plata.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Purist

There's a track diagram floating around for a Croatian Grand Prix at Zagreb. It is a Tilke concept, heavily based on the Austin layout (too much so), just run in the opposite direction.

My main thought is that Beetle's timeline is WAY too short. That is, there's NO WAY that we will be adding anywhere near all of those potential venues in just the next two seasons, if they ever join the calendar in some cases.

It looks like the Spanish Grand Prix may well stay at Barcelona, and Valencia may simply disappear. Who knows if Paul Ricard (or any French circuit) or Istanbul have a shot of returning. A number of the Asian rounds may be on shaky ground, because of demands from Bernie for upgrades, as well as the sanction fees preventing any promoters from making a profit. (The Chinese government is having to become more and more careful about visibly spending money on extravagant things.) I might add that Beetle completely left out the off-and-on rumblings of an Argentine Grand Prix at Mar del Plata.

I did. That's definitely an option.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Beetle

I did. That's definitely an option.

Watching..

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Watching..

What's that supposed to mean?

On another note, I've run across this picture several times. Is this the real tarmac? Something tells me "no". Does anyone know for sure?

[Nicholosophy]

Originally Posted by Beetle

What's that supposed to mean?

On another note, I've run across this picture several times. Is this the real tarmac? Something tells me "no". Does anyone know for sure?

Seems to be clearly photoshopped onto the image. At least to my eye.