The Formula 1 calendar development threadFormula 1 

I don't particularly care for the geographical location of a track, providing it fills the stands and produces good racing. 2 things Korea has never been able to do.

Give Azerbaijan a chance. You never know.
 
Formula 1 needs to find new markets. Sometimes, it works; China and India have attracted large crowds in the past. Other times, as with Korea and Turkey, it does not.

I can understand the argument that a race should not happen if it cannot attract a crowd. But some of the other arguments against a race are pretty specious, and only reinforce the sport's image as being elitist.

For one, people claim that Formula 1 should concentrate on Europe. But there are dozens of countries that are all close together in Europe, and the sport has saturated the market. If more viewers are to be found, it won't be by adding more races. And while the return of races like the French, Dutch and Portuguese Grands Prix might be nice, there is little to no interest in reviving them - so why should other countries be forced to wait if the European nations dither over it?

Secondly, there is the claim that countries without a local motorsport scene should not have a race. Somehow, people expect those countries to develop their own motorsport scene without any exposure to motorsport at a world level. And while the powerhouses like Italy and Germany and England have long-spanning histories of motorsport, once upon a time, they were new to motorsport as well.

Finally, and this is the one that irritates me no end, is the claim that countries with poor human rights records should not have races. I can understand the humanitarian element of this, but it's hypocritical. People will happily deny Russia a race because of Crimea, or Bahrain because of the uprising, or China because of Beijing's habit of detaining activists. But at the same time, they will celebrate the Australian Grand Prix - but there are serious questions about our border protection policies and the treatment of people illegally seeking asylum, all of which the government refuses to discuss.
 
In my view, localisation is not a bad thing. Many of the best motor racing series in the world are either national series or only visit two or three countries a year. Formula 1 shouldn't be any different, mainly sticking to western and central Europe with maybe 6 or 7 races elsewhere. In turn, however, the FIA should help to develop national racing scenes in those places untouched by F1, with a greater contingent of local drivers and teams that new fans can root for, rather than a bunch of funny foreigners who nobody really cares about.
 
prisonermonkeys
Formula 1 needs to find new markets. Sometimes, it works; China and India have attracted large crowds in the past. Other times, as with Korea and Turkey, it does not.

I can understand the argument that a race should not happen if it cannot attract a crowd. But some of the other arguments against a race are pretty specious, and only reinforce the sport's image as being elitist.

For one, people claim that Formula 1 should concentrate on Europe. But there are dozens of countries that are all close together in Europe, and the sport has saturated the market. If more viewers are to be found, it won't be by adding more races. And while the return of races like the French, Dutch and Portuguese Grands Prix might be nice, there is little to no interest in reviving them - so why should other countries be forced to wait if the European nations dither over it?

Secondly, there is the claim that countries without a local motorsport scene should not have a race. Somehow, people expect those countries to develop their own motorsport scene without any exposure to motorsport at a world level. And while the powerhouses like Italy and Germany and England have long-spanning histories of motorsport, once upon a time, they were new to motorsport as well.

Finally, and this is the one that irritates me no end, is the claim that countries with poor human rights records should not have races. I can understand the humanitarian element of this, but it's hypocritical. People will happily deny Russia a race because of Crimea, or Bahrain because of the uprising, or China because of Beijing's habit of detaining activists. But at the same time, they will celebrate the Australian Grand Prix - but there are serious questions about our border protection policies and the treatment of people illegally seeking asylum, all of which the government refuses to discuss.
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Whilst I agree with most of this. I agree mainly with a race that can barely attract a crowd shouldn't really be on the calendar, just irritates me that a race that is local for some people and no one turns up to is on the calendar whereas massive F1 fans in places that doesn't have a race can't afford to go and watch.

Bahrains always been a main example. If I'm not mistaken, crowds on Friday for last years British GP exceeded the number of people at the Bahrain race on race day. Yes I know the Bahrain race is putting up with the uprising there and people are boycotting it but even before then the crowds were quite dismal. Korea is another example of crowd attraction or lack of. Look what's happened to that race! I can't say I'm disappointed to see the back of it. I'm all for F1 going to new places on new circuits, just as long as the crowds are big and the race isn't taken for granted.

For the new races that are coming (NJ, Mexico and Azerbaijan) I hope they all work and the crowds and racing is great!
 
The contract hasn't been completely cancelled. After Russia, New York has always been Bernie's white whale. He's not going to give up in it so quickly. When was the last time he tolerated two years of delays? Any other even would be dropped at the first sign of trouble.
 
prisonermonkeys
The contract hasn't been completely cancelled. After Russia, New York has always been Bernie's white whale. He's not going to give up in it so quickly. When was the last time he tolerated two years of delays? Any other even would be dropped at the first sign of trouble.
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I'm not even sure the progress of the construction anymore. Granted I don't go by the site too often these days but I haven't heard much about the progress.
 
The French GP may be making a return in 2015 apparently. It's a bit exciting to have more races in the calendar as it means less long gaps between races, and I personally enjoy seeing older GPs return, but I also feel like the costs would be a bit high.
 
ITCC_Andrew
Even with most teams based in UK and Germany? I disagree about the costs, unless you mean to update the circuit itself.
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I guess I mean that? I guess with updating Magny Cours and and Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and making sure everything is finalized with New Jersey and Baku. Mexico, Baku, and NJ would all be added flyaway races, so there's the extra cost with those.
 
Red Bull have reportedly renamed the Red Bull Ring's Niki Lauda Kurve ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix; it will now be known as 'Pirelli'. Some of the other corners have also been named for sponsors, though Jochen Rindt Kurve hasn't suffered that fate (yet).

Lauda, understandably, isn't happy about it, but has responded by saying Mercedes will just go ahead and win in Austria.
 
Magny-Cours and Paul Ricard are the only two circuits that could handle it.

I'm not holding my breath, though - the French Grand Prix has been "weeks away from an announcement" since 2009.
 
I would like to see the French GP returning. Always good to see old races come back.

I quite like the idea of a European GP revival where it's held at a different track each year in a country that hasn't got it's own race. My idea would be say that Estoril, Zandvoort, Brno and another track all share the race fee 4 ways and they each take it in turn to host a GP.
 
I'm not sure Brno would be up to standard to host a Grand Prix, although it's a great circuit. Estoril and Zandvoort might not be so hard to get up to standard, but there are still other tracks in Europe that'd seem more likely as European Grand Prix hosts.
 
SVT Cobra GT
My idea would be say that Estoril, Zandvoort, Brno and another track all share the race fee 4 ways and they each take it in turn to host a GP.
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So they all pay money so that someone else can host the race?

Not going to happen. And none of them are suitable for Formula 1.
 
prisonermonkeys
So they all pay money so that someone else can host the race?

Not going to happen. And none of them are suitable for Formula 1.
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In a similar way that Nurburgring and Hockenheim take turns in hosting races. As for funding they all pay for their own race but can't host another race until all tracks have had a turn in hosting one. It's just an idea anyway I never said it would happen.
 
Even if you could get them to agree to it, they're still not suitable for Formula 1. Their pits, safety measures and - particularly in the case of Zandvoort - they would need reconfiguration as they are too narrow. They would have to shell out tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars just to get to the point where they could start sharing the race.
 
The only European circuits that can handle Formula 1 and don't have a race are Magny-Cours and Valencia. Everything else needs work to get the necessary Grade-1 certification. Some, like Paul Ricard, have it easier than others, like Zandvoort - but they all need some form of work.
 
Just for the example of Zandvoort.. a good amount of the track would have to be changed just to accommodate a bigger pit/garage area.
 
I think Imola could probably hold a race pretty easily, considering it only last held a race 8 years ago (not that much longer than Magny-Cours) and has been considerably updated since then.

Algarve and Paul-Ricard would also probably be up to scratch.

I get the impression that some circuits only have grade 1T certification rather than grade 1 simply because it costs more to have a grade 1 licence, rather than because of the circuit standard, or something like that.
 
Paul Ricard only has a Grade-1T rating because its spectator facilities aren't great. There's nowhere near enough grandstands, and what grandstands there are do not have adequate facilities.
 
I have always felt that Magny-Cours was overrated. And I find it strange that, outside Le Mans, France doesn't really have a high-quality circuit, given their motoring industry and role in motorsports.
 
prisonermonkeys
I have always felt that Magny-Cours was overrated. And I find it strange that, outside Le Mans, France doesn't really have a high-quality circuit, given their motoring industry and role in motorsports.
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Yeah I always thought the same, and have wondered what other circuits they have but realistically all of their great circuits from days past are non-existent now all but La Sarthe and that isn't going to get a GP return ever.
 

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