2009 F1 calendar expected tomorrow with French round at Magny-Cours
A provisional 2009 F1 calendar is expected to be announced tomorrow by Bernie Ecclestone according to Nigel Roebuck.
Among the changes for 2009 will be the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, announced last year. And on Sunday rumours came to light that Magny-Cours, host of the French Grand Prix, will get a second stay of execution.
Here’s how the 2009 F1 calendar might look:
Possible 2009 F1 calendar
Here’s how next year’s calendar could look – this is purely hypothetical so please don’t go booking time off work and buying plane tickets.
*Monaco is a four-day weekend
**May run under a different name due to contractual dispute
***Alternating each year with Fuji Speedway
The United States Grand Prix apparently has a 50-50 chance of remaining on the calendar, and will be back if a sponsor is found. The United States is the tenth largest television audience for F1, and although Formula 1 is a minority sport in the USA in terms of interest, its importance as a market is gigantic.
It could squeeze back onto the calendar by appearing the week after the Canadian Grand Prix (as it did last year) with the French race moving back a week next to the British race as it has been in the past.
The new Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is apparently going to be in October and likely will not be the season finale. Putting it next to Singapore would make some geographic sense but as India and South Korea arrive in 2010 this end of the calendar will need a serious shake-up.
Changes to Abu Dhabi
Plans for a radical ‘hybrid track’ at Abu Dhabi have been scaled back. The original scheme for a track that was part street circuit, part permanent race course. The street section was to include a dramatic blast along a marina.
According to Autosport “renowned F1 fixer Philippe Gurdjian” has been brought onto the project which suggests they ran into some problems. Gurdjian helped the Bahrainis get their track ready on time in 2004 so the race should be in safe hands.
French Grand Prix to stay?
Bernie Ecclestone said 2007 was going to be the last race at Magny-Cours, and then he said 2008 would as well. Both, it seems, were wrong.
His plans for a Paris Grand Prix street race will have to wait a little longer. There is still little indication the project might become a reality. Rumours are Magny-Cours will stay on the calendar until 2010.
Keep track of all the test sessions, car launches races and more in 2008 and beyond with the F1Fanatic.co.uk Formula 1 calendar for Google Calendar:
Alvin said on 25th June 2008, 5:43
Journeyer, if you’re coming to Malaysia 2009 look me up. We’ll probably have our F1 simulators somewhere so you might want to try it out. Email me at alvin@aigroupholdings.com or find me on FB…cheers
Sush said on 25th June 2008, 10:24
have they sorted out the pits @ Spa?
the entrance is too tight.
and the buildings don’t conform to fire safety laws, Bernie says that doesn’t worry him though.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 25th June 2008, 13:00
French GP confirmed for 2009 by FFSA: More here
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 25th June 2008, 13:31
And here’s the FIA’s provisional calendar. No USA, France is there, 19 races. Abu Dhabi will be the season finale in late November, despite earlier reports it would be in October. Turkey is moving later in the calendar closer to its original slot: More here
DG said on 25th June 2008, 14:11
Heres another worrying thought for you…..
Since the circuits that appeal most to Bernie are the ones which are happy to spend their cash and give him the profits, and those at the moment are in the Middle East and Far East, I can see the whole F1 circus gradually moving away from Europe.
Bernie is also in discussions for circuits in India, so how about a theoretical calendar of:
1.Valencia
2.Monaco
3.Turkey
4.Eygpt (they used to race there)
5.Bahrain
6.Qatar
7.Abu Dhabi
8.India
9.Malaysia
10.Shanghai
11.Japan
12.Australia
13.Brazil
14.USA
15.Canada
16.’British’
17.’French’
18.’German’
19.’Italian’
20.Hungary
As you see its 15 races before you need to think about using the circuits that Bernie doesn’t like!
DG said on 25th June 2008, 14:43
Ooops, I have noticed that I should have included Singapore in there too, so you can drop Hungary off the end…..
Gman said on 27th June 2008, 4:42
Francois, indeed if the event known as the European GP was kept around, it would be great to see it move to different venues- Imola, Brno in the Czech Rrepublic, that new track in Portugal…Sadly, as Scott and sChUmAcHeRtHeGrEaTeStEvEr point out, The Euro GP is just a money-making sprint for Bernie- he knows he could sell out 20 races in Spain if given the chance, so why not hand them a second one?
The one thing that I do disagree with sChUmAcHeRtHeGrEaTeStEvEr on is…why is 20 races too much? We’re talking about the most advanced form of racing in the world, and the teams and series all have plenty of money. Let’s start the season earlier, wipe out the 3-weke gap, and see some more RACING- with at least one trip to the USA back in there!