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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".
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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 - 2021

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
26 - Mar 28
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
16 - Apr 18
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
30 - May 2
Portugal
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
7 - May 9
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
20 - May 23
Monaco
Monte Carlo
4 - Jun 6
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
18 - Jun 20
France
Paul Ricard
25 - Jun 27
Austria
Red Bull Ring
2 - Jul 4
Austria
Red Bull Ring
16 - Jul 18
United Kingdom
Silverstone
30 - Aug 1
Hungary
Hungaroring
27 - Aug 29
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
3 - Sep 5
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
10 - Sep 12
Italy
Monza
24 - Sep 26
Russian
Sochi Autodrom
8 - Oct 10
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
8 - Oct 10
Turkey
Istanbul Park
22 - Oct 24
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
5 - Nov 7
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
12 - Nov 14
Brazil
Interlagos
19 - Nov 21
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
3 - Dec 5
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
10 - Dec 12
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2021

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
26 - Mar 28
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
16 - Apr 18
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
30 - May 2
Portugal Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
7 - May 9
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
20 - May 23
Monaco Monte Carlo
4 - Jun 6
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
18 - Jun 20
France Paul Ricard
25 - Jun 27
Austria Red Bull Ring
2 - Jul 4
Austria Red Bull Ring
16 - Jul 18
United Kingdom Silverstone
30 - Aug 1
Hungary Hungaroring
27 - Aug 29
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
3 - Sep 5
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
10 - Sep 12
Italy Monza
24 - Sep 26
Russian Sochi Autodrom
8 - Oct 10
Japan Circuit Suzuka
8 - Oct 10
Turkey Istanbul Park
22 - Oct 24
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
5 - Nov 7
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
12 - Nov 14
Brazil Interlagos
19 - Nov 21
Qatar Losail International Circuit
3 - Dec 5
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
10 - Dec 12
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
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