HOT ON THE HEELS of FOTA’s announced intent to establish a breakaway F1 series next year, a number of European media outlets (and an Australian one) are quoting from a leaked document outlining the calendar and track list for next year’s breakaway F1 series.
Most interesting… except that many are pointing to the Guardian as the source, but there is nothing on its website. The further trouble is, it seems there is not much credibility in ‘leaked documents’ these days (ask anyone who isn’t currently hiding in a cupboard around Parliament House in Canberra).
The biggest er… news… for Australians is that - if the calendar is genuine - FOTA appears to have ditched Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit in favour of Adelaide’s old street course. The rest of the leaked 2010 calendar looks like a wishlist.
Here’s what’s alleged to be in the offing for the first FOTA-led season:
3 March - Buenos Aires, Argentina
21 March - Mexico City, Mexico
11 April - Jerez, Spain
25 April - Portimao, Portugal
2 May - Imola, Italy
23 May - Monte Carlo, Monaco
6 June - Montreal, Canada
13 June - Indianapolis, United States
1 July - Silverstone, United Kingdom
25 July - Magny-Cours, France
15 August - Laustizring, Germany
29 August - Helsinki, Finland
12 September - Monza, Italy
26 September - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
10 October - Marina Bay, Singapore
24 October - Suzuka, Japan
8 November - Adelaide
So, rather than starting in Melbourne, the ‘leaked’ document purports a season finish in Adelaide. Indianapolis and Montreal are two other major destination changes, while the Argentine, Finnish and Mexican rounds would also be new additions to the race schedule.
Curiously, suspiciously, there’s no Brazilian round, while Italy gets two rounds to itself. Spa-Francorchamps has also been dropped, reportedly as it has a contract with Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management until 2012.
But can this list be trusted? It seems highly unlikely there would be any schedule of racing at this stage for the breakaway group with a final line-up of competing teams yet to be established.
And racing of this type is a huge logistical exercise, for the organisers, the teams and for the host cities… no-one just points at a map, circles a city and says, “Let’s go there.”
We’d put this one in the “suckered again!” category for any news media that released it. For the time being, we’d say Australia’s F1 round isn’t heading back to the City of Churches just yet (sorry Adelaide… you can all start breathing again).
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The Melbourne GP has always been crap compared to Adelaide. I do hope there is a breakaway series next year, and I do hope they finish in Adelaide and ditch Melbourne.
Melb ruined the aust GP when they stole it from adelaide, the street circuit in adelaide is well knowen around the world as one of the best and the party atmosphere adelaide offers makes it a ideal place for the GP. we can dream but it wont happen. The reason why is the the SA government are fu*ked in the head and would rather see street cars race and bogans drinking beer at the clipsal 500.
I think it would be good to have the breakaway F1 series in Adelaide. Fist of all its a much better track. Secondly they could have the Clipsal 500 one week followed by the other mob the following week.
And before you degrade the V8 Supercars as bogans - don’t forget how appalling the ticket sales for the F1 in melbourne were [not to mention indy] when the V8s weren’t included as a F1 support Category.
Not only that but wn the V8s are at the F1 the majority of the mechanincs from the F1 teams have stopped work to watch the V8s
jason, those ’street cars’ attract a 4 day crowd of 280,000 people. Apart from Indy, it’s Australia’s largest single sporting event.
PS Yes it would be great to see the F1’s back at Adelaide!
hmmmmm….that ‘list’ is about as realistic as Bernie’s ‘Hair’ lol.
A 11 day event would be great to have here in Adelaide. Like Wheelnut said, V8’s first week and F1’s the next with a two or three day break between the weekends. This could happen as people are sick of having temporary grandstands up just for a four day event.
Unfortunately, like Jason said, it won’t happen because our State Government and City Council are so backward and would reject the idea almost immediately.
Adelaide can host both V8 and the breakaway F1 series. V8’s at the start of the season, and F1 at the end of the season. The V8 race attracts more people, then the Melbourne GP has ever had. And also the Adelaide GP also attracted more people and also made money, which melbourne hasnt done. So for me its V8’s in Adelaide and F1 welcome home back to Adelaide.