30/06/2004
NEWS STORY
As previously predicted, the 2005 Formula One calendar looks likely to consist of 19 rounds.
Talking to Reuters today, following a meeting of the World Motorsport council, FIA President Max Mosley said; "Bernie Ecclestone has, as it were, booked 19 weekends but it's by no means sure that there will be 19 races.
"He would have to get our agreement for that," he continued, "which would not be automatic. We have to give our consent for it to be more than 16 races. And you have to get the agreement of the teams.
"But it was sensible to block those dates so that you wouldn't then get, for example, a round of the world rally championship that conflicted.
With Bahrain and China coming on board in 2004, and Turkey due to host its first Grand Prix next year, the calendar is getting busier and busier, with several more countries waiting eagerly in the rings.
Although the Austrian GP has been dropped this year, Belgium is back, while it looks increasingly likely that San Marino will be retained, despite Bernie Ecclestone's claims that this year's event was the last.
"It's possible that Imola will survive," said Mosley, "and it is possible that we might have a new race. There are two or three possibilities. The India race is a little bit like the Russian race, it's always a conversation but so far nothing very concrete.
"The approach we have is we say to Bernie 'you go and do a commercial deal and when you've done that, we'll have a look at all the sporting aspects'... so that we don't spend our lives talking to people who think they might be able to put on a Formula One race.
"A second U.S. race might be useful," he admitted, "but on the other hand, in the United States Formula One is competing with a lot of other sports."
Most of the team bosses are of the opinion that the current season, which consists of 18 races, is already putting a massive strain on their employees, especially with the amount of time spent 'on the road'.
Meanwhile, race fans would prefer quality to quantity.