At their series of meetings this week in Mexico, The World Motorsport Council have approved a draft calendar for the F1 2016 which will see more F1 championship races in a calendar year than ever before.
The 21 races leaked by FOM several weeks ago all appear on this slightly more official version of what will be next year.
The calendar is being compressed, as the season opener has been moved back into April and is two weeks later than usual. That said, TJ13 has been briefed the Qatari’s still believe they will negotiate a deal to open the 2016 season and be awarded a race in Losail on the original weekend of the Melbourne race.
At present F1 fans are suffering a period when they will be able to watch just one F1 race over a six week period. The 2015 F1 championship will clearly lose impetus over that period, particularly with the more casual F1 observers.
There will be back to back F1 race weekends both before and after the now shortened three week summer break in 2016.
The Grand Prix in the USA and Mexico and Singapore and Malaysia are back to back, which is of some surprise given the philosophy Ecclestone has always pursued that F1 should be exclusive.
Singapore and Malaysia are just 55 minutes apart by flight and Austin and Mexico City, just a little more.
Mexico is sold out for 2015, though the impact on the race at COTA is yet to be seen. Rumour has it the COTA circuit will withdraw from F1 should this year see their F1 race weekend dip into the red.
Thinking about my next European holiday, that Baku is certainly a bargain.
Just how to explain to my wife the new Paris and shy France ducks.
Increased calendar but no mention as to whether or not the teams will be given an extra power unit.
I do believe that the more races there are the more it devalues the importance of each one. this is one of the reasons races like Monza and Spa are under threat. it devalues the importance in the championship but increases value for business. I think we are past the point of a healthy balance.