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Grand Prix races disappearing from Europe
Munich, June 05: Europe may lose Grand Prix races as Formula One motor racing looks to expand in Asia, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur, DPA.
Munich, June 05: Europe may lose Grand Prix races as Formula One motor racing looks to expand in Asia, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur, DPA.
Ecclestone said the Grand Prix motor racing calendar could not be greatly extended and that ''We will probably lose races in Europe''. However, reports that the Formula One season could be expanded to 20 races were ''not true''.
He added: ''We cannot have 20 races, that is too many. We have 16 or 17. Perhaps, perhaps one could have 18 - perhaps. But we are happy with the calendar as it is.
''We discovered some time ago that 16 is a good number, perhaps one more. That is the sort of limit we want.''
Formula One has already ditched the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa- Francorchamps this season in a row over tobacco advertising, while this year's Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg in May was also expected to be a swansong.
Bahrain and Shanghai join the calendar next year, and the Formula One organizers are reportedly looking for more new markets in the West Asia and South East Asia.
''We will probably lose races in Europe,'' said Ecclestone. ''I suspect Europe will have a third world economy anyway within the next decade.
''I think European politicians have got their thinking wrong. So perhaps we won't have to drop races, perhaps some European Grand Prix races will disappear by themselves.''
Despite the move towards Asia, Ecclestone said organizers of the two German races at Nuerburgring and Hockenheim were ''doing a good job''.
Hockenheim has a Formula One contract until 2008 and has spent 62 million Euros (72 million dollars) on circuit reconstruction. Nuerburgring, host of the European Grand Prix, has spent 50 million Euros on modernization in the last eight years, but its Formula One contract ends next year.
''We will discuss extending the contract,'' Ecclestone said. He added that the German circuits had been helpful in the row over tobacco advertising which the European union wants banned in Europe by July 31, 2005.
For this reason ''We will try to support them'', he said.
Bureau Report
Ecclestone said the Grand Prix motor racing calendar could not be greatly extended and that ''We will probably lose races in Europe''. However, reports that the Formula One season could be expanded to 20 races were ''not true''.
He added: ''We cannot have 20 races, that is too many. We have 16 or 17. Perhaps, perhaps one could have 18 - perhaps. But we are happy with the calendar as it is.
''We discovered some time ago that 16 is a good number, perhaps one more. That is the sort of limit we want.''
Formula One has already ditched the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa- Francorchamps this season in a row over tobacco advertising, while this year's Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg in May was also expected to be a swansong.
Bahrain and Shanghai join the calendar next year, and the Formula One organizers are reportedly looking for more new markets in the West Asia and South East Asia.
''We will probably lose races in Europe,'' said Ecclestone. ''I suspect Europe will have a third world economy anyway within the next decade.
''I think European politicians have got their thinking wrong. So perhaps we won't have to drop races, perhaps some European Grand Prix races will disappear by themselves.''
Despite the move towards Asia, Ecclestone said organizers of the two German races at Nuerburgring and Hockenheim were ''doing a good job''.
Hockenheim has a Formula One contract until 2008 and has spent 62 million Euros (72 million dollars) on circuit reconstruction. Nuerburgring, host of the European Grand Prix, has spent 50 million Euros on modernization in the last eight years, but its Formula One contract ends next year.
''We will discuss extending the contract,'' Ecclestone said. He added that the German circuits had been helpful in the row over tobacco advertising which the European union wants banned in Europe by July 31, 2005.
For this reason ''We will try to support them'', he said.
Bureau Report