[Steph90]

Bernie’s eyeying up S Africa return

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85209

Do you think it can happen? Would you spport it? Sounds like a new track would be used too.

A few weeks ago Ned Flanders got comment of the day for pointing out that F1 wasn’t really a world championship if you look at the calendar.

However, we have one confirmed race in the US with a possiblity of a second, now this, Bernie;s been pushing for Russia, we have India soon and Korea, Aus and Mal already have a race, South America has a race, China has one, Singa + Japan and the main belly of the races are in Europe so do we have a chance of a proper ‘world championship’?

The rate the calendar is expanding though we’re bound to drop some. This topic comes up time and again but F1 genuinely seems to be expanding it’s horizons so what do you think?

And where would Russia have a track? Any possible plans or news?

I just thought with all the teammate drama it would be nice to think about something light hearted and for F1’s future :)

[Journeyer]

We’ve been in SA before, so there’s precedent. Sadly, the last iteration of Kyalami is… mediocre at best. It’ll need a lot of upgrading to meet modern standards. But with most people having spent on football, there may not be much motorsport funds available in the near future.

As for Russia, Sochi is the frontrunner.

[James_mc]

Apparently Sochi is set to be an unmitigated disaster as the whole thing is getting built over un-surveyed land and the Russians are having major problems building their Olympic Resort.

[Ned Flanders]

Sochi does seem like a decent place to host a GP, although if what James says above is true than perhaps not.

I’ddefinitely like to see a proper global championship, but I don’t suppose Bernie Ecclestone shares my concerns- he’d run the entire championship in Abu Dhabi if they offered him enough money. Obviously F1 has always and will always be a Eurocentric sport, so I think it’s reasonable to expect most races to be held in Europe. But is there any need for 2 races in South East Asia, 2 races in the Middle East, 3 races in the Far East? I don’t think so. Off the top of my head, I think the calender should be more like:

7/20 races in Western Europe

4/20 races in Asia (removing Turkey, Bahrain and Malaysia)

3/20 in North America (adding US and Mexico)

2/20 races in South America (adding Argentina/ Columbia/ Venezuela etc)

2/20 races in Eastern Europe (adding Russia)

1/20 races in Australasia

1/20 races in Africa (adding South Africa)

[Prisoner Monkeys]

Ned, I wouldn’t go removing Turkey or Malaysia if You’re keeping the likes of Shanghai in – they’re both great circuits.

[Ned Flanders]

Yeah they are the best Tilkedromes, but I was thinking more more of the importance of the countries themselves… Malaysia and Turkey just don’t seem to give a (prisoner) monkeys about F1. Although maybe if Lotus take off and Fairuz Fauzy gets a drive that could change…

[wasiF1]

Not a bad idea about F1 in S.A, given the fact that the grand stand aren’t empty.

[Prisoner Monkeys]

You do realise that it wasn’t just South Africans in the grandstands for the World Cup, right?

[Author]

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