16/04/2010
NEWS STORY
As previously reported by Pitpass, Bernie Ecclestone has now confirmed that the 2011 Formula One World Championship will consist of 20 rounds.
Last month we reported that Ecclestone had confirmed to Pitpass business editor Chris Sylt that there would be twenty races next year. "We will have 20 races and the teams will be happy with it," he said.
Speaking in Shanghai today, the F1 supremo denied recent reports that he is looking to drop a number of European events. "We are not dropping anything," he said, before adding; "get ready for 25."
F1 has never before had as many as 20 races on its calendar and this is down to the increased cost of travelling to more Grands Prix as well as the longer period of time team staff would have to spend away from home.
However, one key to getting the teams to agree to it was the appointment of McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh as chairman of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) in January. Ecclestone says that "you've got very sensible guys now like Martin Whitmarsh in charge of everything and he will understand because he is a business person."