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Korea scheduled to sneak in extra engine for 2015

Korea scheduled to sneak in extra engine for 2015

  • Published on 05 Dec 2014 12:49
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
The story of Korea's surprise return to the F1 calendar for 2015 has taken another bizarre twist. Insiders were stunned on Wednesday when the FIA published a 2015 schedule featuring an unprecedented 21 races including the return of remote and unpopular Korea.

The calendar's author, Bernie Ecclestone, had declared only months ago "I don't want to go back there". And organisers of the Yeongam event, having dropped off the calendar after 2013, declared that the FIA's move to reinstate a 2015 race had been "unilateral".

An unnamed race official told AFP the organisers were basically "broke", had lost the support even of the locals and had held "unsuccessful" talks with Ecclestone about reducing the annual hosting fee. The French news agency said it is possible the provisional May 3 race in Korea next year might actually take place on the streets of Seoul.

But a couple of F1 insiders have another theory. They think it is Ecclestone's way of sneaking an extra engine into the allocation of every F1 driver next year. The F1 supremo is no fan of the new V6 'power unit' era, but the regulations are due to clamp down even more on the long-life restrictions in 2015.

This year, drivers were allocated a maximum of five 'power units' for the entire season, resulting in penalties once unscheduled sixth engines were used. But for 2015, the allocation was due to reduce from five to just four V6s per driver. "That presupposes there are no more than 20 races," Andrew Benson, a BBC writer, said.

He has spotted the clause giving drivers a fifth engine in 2015 "if the number of events in the championship, as originally scheduled, exceeds 20". Alan Baldwin, the correspondent for the Reuters news agency, agrees: "The key words are 'as originally scheduled'."

"Scheduling Korea, even if the race does not happen, should be enough to ensure the allocation of power units stays at five," he explained. "With rule changes requiring unanimous agreement from the teams at this late stage, it is simpler to tweak the calendar instead."

Baldwin also quoted a team source as confirming that Korea is almost certainly "an elegant way of avoiding bargaining" over a tweak to the engine rules. (GMM)
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Bahrain
29 - Mar 2 2024
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9 2024
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24 2024
Australia
Albert Park
5 - Apr 7 2024
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21 2024
China
Shanghai International Circuit
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United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19 2024
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26 2024
Monaco
Monte Carlo
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Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23 2024
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Austria
Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7 2024
United Kingdom
Silverstone
19 - Jul 21 2024
Hungary
Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28 2024
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25 2024
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1 2024
Italy
Monza
13 - Sep 15 2024
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22 2024
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20 2024
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27 2024
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3 2024
Brazil
Interlagos
22 - Nov 24 2024
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1 2024
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
6 - Dec 8 2024
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
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United Arab Emirates
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
29 - Mar 2 2024
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9 2024
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24 2024
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7 2024
Japan Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21 2024
China Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5 2024
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19 2024
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26 2024
Monaco Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9 2024
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23 2024
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30 2024
Austria Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7 2024
United Kingdom Silverstone
19 - Jul 21 2024
Hungary Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28 2024
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25 2024
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1 2024
Italy Monza
13 - Sep 15 2024
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22 2024
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20 2024
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27 2024
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3 2024
Brazil Interlagos
22 - Nov 24 2024
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1 2024
Qatar Losail International Circuit
6 - Dec 8 2024
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
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