F1 dates still in doubt

The FIA World Motor Sports Council has approved a 22-race calendar for 2014 – despite the governing body’s own sporting regulations stating that the maximum number of events can only be 20.

The schedule includes three races marked as provisional, and teams expect it to change by the time of the year’s final WMSC gathering in December.

As previously announced India is missing, ostensibly because it is skipping a year before returning for an early-season date in 2015. New (or revived) next year are events in Austria, Russia, Mexico and New Jersey. The last two are listed as provisional ‘subject to circuit approval,’ while Russia is not, despite still being a construction site. Korea, which has been moved from October to April, is also provisional.

Momentum is building behind the Mexico City event and Hermann Tilke will be responsible for updating the track, last used for F1 in 1992.

The biggest anomaly is a triple-header in Monaco, New Jersey and Canada. Bernie Ecclestone has never previously scheduled three races together, and there has never been a flyaway immediately after a European event.

Teams agree that the logistical challenge of getting from Monaco to the USA is almost insurmountable, thanks to the complications of packing the freight after the street race while meeting strict customs requirements. Most assume that the race has been scheduled for contractual reasons, and that it will subsequently be dropped.

Meanwhile pre-season testing details have been confirmed, with an opening session at Jerez, Spain, followed by two in Bahrain.

2014 calendar

Mar 16 Australia
Mar 30 Malaysia
Apr 6 Bahrain
Apr 20 China
Apr 27 Korea*
May 11 Spain
May 25 Monaco
Jun 1 USA* New Jersey
Jun 8 Canada
Jun 22 Austria
Jul 6 Britain
Jul 20 Germany
Jul 27 Hungary
Aug 24 Belgium
Sep 7 Italy
Sep 21 Singapore
Oct 5 Russia
Oct 12 Japan
Oct 26 Abu Dhabi
Nov 9 USA Austin
Nov 16 Mexico*
Nov 30 Brazil

* Provisional