Formula One calendar stretches to record 20 races as Indian Grand Prix added in 2011
India has been added to the 2011 Formula One world championship as part of the most punishing schedule ever. Next season will see 20 races, up from 19 this year, with a new race in New Delhi the only difference.
By Tom Cary
Published: 4:47PM BST 08 Sep 2010
The news was announced midway through a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday, with the main event still to come. The smattering of the world’s press are gathered on the steps of the FIA headquarters in Place de la Concorde waiting to learn Ferrari’s fate for employing banned team orders at the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim in July.
As the FIA press delegate came down to hand journalists the press release regarding the 2011 calendar, Ferrari’s team principal Stefano Domenicali entered the building with team lawyers.
The Indian Grand Prix, which will take place on Oct 30, two weeks after the Korean Grand Prix, is subject to homologation of the circuit. Considering the Korean race has not yet been signed off just six weeks before it is due to take place that is not the formality it might appear.
Bahrain will again kick off the season, on March 13, with Brazil returning to its previous position as the season finale on Nov 27, a move that will delight motor sport fans. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone is scheduled for July 10. The three-week summer break between Hungary on July 31 and Belgium on Aug 28 remains.
The FIA also announced that, after much speculation and despite “a number of interested parties,” there will be no 13th team in 2011 since “none of the candidates met the requirements to be granted entry into the Championship”.
Code:[B]The 2011 Formula One World Championship calendar:[/B] March 13: Bahrain March 27: Australia April 10: Malaysia April 17: China May 8: Turkey May 22: Spain May 29: Monaco June 12: Canada June 26: Europe (Valencia) July 10: Great Britain July 24: Germany July 31: Hungary Aug 28: Belgium Sept 11: Italy Sept 25: Singapore Oct 9: Japan Oct 16: Korea Oct 30: India Nov 13: Abu Dhabi Nov 27: Brazil
About time...
