Melbourne has all but confirmed news it has lost its status as the opening race on the formula one calendar. It emerged recently that F1's hugely controversial Bahrain grand prix is provisionally scheduled to kick off an unprecedentedly-long 21-race schedule in 2014.
Bahrain's race will be in early March, which is a couple of weeks earlier than Australia usually hosts the season opener, in the third week of the month. The Sunday Herald Sun newspaper reports that Bahrain next year will be held on March 2, followed by Melbourne two weeks later.
But Andrew Westacott, boss of the Australian grand prix corporation, said Melbourne is happy with the mid-March slot, due to the scheduling of other sports events in the city at that time. "Our preference is to retain the third weekend in March," he said, playing down fears crowd numbers might be affected by the race's altered status. "The grand prix ran on the first weekend in April (in 2006) and estimated attendance remained strong with crowds in excess of 300,000," Westacott insisted.
The 2014 calendar is expected to be confirmed by the FIA in August. On the face of it, an unprecedented 21 grands prix should be listed, due to the new races in Russia and New Jersey. But Speed Week claims teams may actually only end up travelling to a more comfortable 19 destinations, with the events in India and South Korea reportedly in doubt.
The report said Korea's current contract runs through 2016, but that the unpopular and poorly attended F1 host is losing the support of the local authorities. As for India, Speed Week said: "We are hearing that the 2013 race is financially backed, but not the 2014 one. "Indian sources suggest the (promoter) Jaypee Group is nearing bankruptcy." (GMM)
Grands Prix in India and Korea in doubt for 2014
- Published on 18 Jun 2013 09:15
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Jan 26
I. Hadjar
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M. Verstappen
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A. Antonelli
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G. Russell
- 1:16.445
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L. Hamilton
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
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Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
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A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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G. Russell
- 1:33.459
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A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
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C. Leclerc
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
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