Someone asked me what would be my perfect Formula 1 calendar and I have had a think about it and the answer is as follows. It would have 18 races. Six in the American timezone; six in Europe/Middle East/Africa and six in Asia/Pacific. It would start in somewhere warm and southern hemisphere. I would prefer Brazil but I understand that from a timezone point of view, it is best to end in Brazil in order to hit prime time TV in F1′s biggest markets in Europe. Thus, starting in Australia is OK. I am not much bothered about Malaysia and would prefer Singapore being twinned to Melbourne, rather than by itself in the autumn. If we have to race in China I would prefer Hong Kong. I do not believe that F1 should race in any country where there is a totalitarian regime, but I do not want to be the person who has to define the meaning of that word. Rather than messing about in Asia in April I would go to the United States and have a race in Laguna Seca. That would need a twin and while I can live without Mexico City, I have not been for 20 years so perhaps it is better than it was.
I would start the European season in Spain but I prefer Valencia to Barcelona: Dull track. Crime-ridden city. Circuit in an industrial estate. Valencia is a nice city but the race is wasted being in the docks. It should be extended to get more into the town. Monaco is a must. I like Montreal in June and that should be twinned with a race in New York. I’d go back to Europe for the British, French, German and Hungarian GPs. Silverstone is good but I’d like to see a circuit in France somewhere near Paris. The two German tracks are both fine and alternating between them is OK. I like Hungary too but it has ceased to be ground-breaking and perhaps this would be the best time to go to Russia.
However I would really like to see a race in Switzerland. A street race in Luzern would be perfect, or a revived Bremgarten. I will not miss Turkey. I would also like to see something in Portugal. The Algarve circuit is terrific, but I prefer the Estoril region… The problem is that there are not enough slots for all of these and Spa and Monza (which are both essentials).
Japan is fine but thus far I am not enthralled by Korea (it is early yet) and India is not something I am excited about. Abu Dhabi is overpriced. I am staying this year in Dubai this year because of that. Some places need to understand that ripping off the visitors is not smart. I’d like to be in Africa too but in somewhere nice. Mauritius would be good…
Of course, in a perfect world we would go racing in Barbados as well… but I cannot figure out how to get that into the calendar. I also think that the trip to Brazil would be so much more civilised if it was twinned with a race in Buenos Aires, as used to be the case. I loved our visits there. A great city. The race there was cancelled because the bribes needed to make the event happen were so high that it was no longer workable (there might be a message in that for some of the other F1 venues…). I would also ban all countries from F1 if there were firewalls that stopped international communication.
I think there are too many races, and the geographic splits are not quite right but the Joe Formula 1 World Championship would be both cost-effective for the travellers and rather more glamorous than today…
Do you feel that a NY area street circuit or Laguna Seca would be preferable to what Austin will be? I’m getting concerned now – do you think they are not going in a good track design direction for interesting racing?
Very well presented.
Thanks Joe.
Nice calendar, I would just include the Adelaide circuit to that list, but without replacing it with Melbourne. They could call it the Pacific GP.
Americas (4) – Interlagos, Montreal, Austin, Laguna
Trad Europe (8) – Silverstone, Spa, Monza, France, Monaco, Nurburgring GP circuit, Nurburgring Nordschleife, Zandvoort
Other Europe (2) – Istanbul, European GP to use a different wildcard each year
Arab Countries – (1) – but they need a circuit with some character first
Eastern / Pacific (5) – Suzuka, Melbourne, China, India, Korea
Quite happy for Valencia and Singapore to go (tracks are dull)
Joe,
I don’t know why you’re doing everything to disappoint me. You said “I’d like to be in Africa too but in somewhere nice. Mauritius would be good…”
I just wanna inform you : “AFRICA+Somewhere Nice” = TUNISIA
Mauritius…Mauritius… hmmm.. where would the track go?! Guess you can bulldoze some cane fields and forgo the sugar production for one weeks worth of tourists?
or build a floating circuit!
Then where are all the fights coming from or will Bernie get the tickets cheap enough for the locals to fill the stands??? Boatload of people on that Island, not a lot of money to go to a race! I know it is all a pie in the sky idea… So what about the Falklands?? Then the weather can make for some real drama!
The idea to bring back Bremgarten is easily the best thing I’ve ever read on this blog. Stroke of genius, Joe.
01 – Adelaide
02 – Singapore
03 – Austin
04 – Motorland Aragon
05 – Monaco
06 – Montreal
07 – Paul Ricard
08 – Silverstone
09 – Hockenheim
10 – Spa
11 – Monza
12 – Brands Hatch
13 – Korea
14 – Suzuka
15 – Abu Dhabi
16 – Interlagos
Wot no Spa?!?
what about the Argentinian race being at the Potrero de los Funes Circuit? Not much infrastructure, sure, but what a track!
It’s a pity we cant have a really really good glamorous street circuit somewhere. Am underwhelmed with the current offerings (Monaco excepted)
Yay! Laguna Seca!
Wouldn’t you consider Spa Francorchamps in your perfect F1 Calendar……?
“Abu Dhabi is overpriced.”
Are we talking about the same city here? Unless they ramp up the prices for the Grand Prix, though presumably Dubai would do the same if they were holding the race instead…
DCLXIV,
I am talking about the city.
I’d add one more race at the Brno circuit.
Spa, Monza, Spa, Imola, Spa, Monaco, Spa, Silverstone (only because I’m British), Spa, Canada, Spa, Turkey (only Tilkedrome I find remotely interesting), Spa, Interlagos, Spa, Suzuka, Spa.
There..that’s it, perfect. Maybe change the order for travel or weather. what’s not to like??
Not enough circuits..simple, add more visits to Spa!
Come visit us in sunny Cape Town!
Regarding the inclusion of Switzerland, I was wondering… is motor racing still banned there?
NB. I was at the last Swiss Grand Prix at Dijon, sitting at Bretelles where Keke passed Prost for his first win, and the only one in his Championship season. It was a good day, apart from the hangover. Whatever happened to Page & Moy fast and cheap (or ‘quick and dead’ as we used to call them)?
My perfect calendar would have to include the old Österreichring
If I had the freedom to select races for next year, they’d be as follows:
18 March, Melbourne/Bathurst, Australia;
25 March, Marina Bay, Singapore;
08 April, Shanghai, China;
22 April, Potrero de los Funes, Argentina;
13 May, Valencia, Spain;
27 May, Monte Carlo, Monaco;
10 June, Watkins Glen, USA East;
17 June, Montreal, Canada;
01 July, France;
08 July, Silverstone, Great Britain;
22 July, Hockenheim, Germany;
05 August, Road America, USA Central;
26 August, Spa-Francochamps, Belgium;
02 September, Monza, Italy;
16 September, Russia;
30 September, South Africa;
14 October, Mexico;
28 October, Buddh, India;
11 November, Suzuka, Japan;
25 November, Interlagos, Brazil;
02 December, Laguna Seca, USA West;
Yes there’s 21 races there, but there’s only 5 back-to-back races, and two three week breaks are in there too. It also covers every major country, as well as having the classic European races.
Jamie,
No-one would be watching the World Championship showdown… The world timezones just do not work for the West Coast.
Joe, I think you should definitely get the calendar job.
Your Caribbean date rang a bell in relation to the bubble cockpits that hit the news a couple of months ago. I remember a report in Motoring News of a CanAm race in the Bahamas (OK, nowhere near Barbados): the date – April 1st – is significant, and I’m fairly certain it was 1973. If I remember correctly, the circuit included a bailey bridge specially constructed by the army, and one of the podium finishers was Ronnie Peterson in a March 711 – which had been fitted with a bubble cockpit for the occasion!
Well done, by the way, on ‘A little Reminder’: these people must do your head in. Remember that there are plenty of us who would be perfectly happy with a subscribers-only troll-wall: I mean, if all that stuff makes me cringe, what must it be taking out of you?
Cheers, Sam
I was watching a race at Brands Hatch a weekend or two ago and found myself thinking how it would be great to see F1 cars do that run from the start line round to Surtees again.
That got me thinking that the European Grand Prix should go back to being a roving event again to take the show to places that might not warrant a permanent place on the calender but nevertheless warrant a visit.
It would be a great opportunity for fans to see the cars in fresh circumstances but, of course, highly unlikely given what drives where races go these days.
Hungary? I’d lose the Hungaroboring first.
I just look at the calendar and see ones i don’t mind missing. Malaysia, China, Bahrain, Hungary, Singapore, Korea, India, Abu Dhabi. Being harsh on those, but some of these i have been accidentally very consistent in missing. I’ve fairly consistently managed to blank M’sia and Hungary without noticeable loss. I’m still left with 12 races i’ll not miss.
I’d rather cut to 16, get back to the alternate weekends like clockwork, and rotate newer tracks in to the calendar. But then i’d restart non championship races and make that a test day when any new team could come in who can pass scrutinering . .
Loads of back to backs (7, is it now planned) could be a bit much. If i’m not viewing, i still keep an eye out, so i’ll try not to cut a race if i think something interesting is on the cards. Oh, i am unfair on the flyaways. But a bit older now, i don’t get the same thrill of waking in the small hours, or jet lag, and to be honest back to backs dull the occasion for me. I know i am taking time away from family or other activities worth doing around normal life. I was happily tuned to the alternate weekends since i can remember, and can’t quite suss out the new routine.
Votes here for Buenos Aires!
Hong Kong would be freaking awesome. Have they finished developing Kai Tak yet, or is that an option still? Please don’t dump that idea out in the New Territories.
Africa anywhere would be a good move. Mauritius, Joe? (and Barbados in the same thought) do i guess right you are pining for a holiday?
Wish we could have dropped propaganda slips over Tripoli for a race revival. . . don’t get me wrong, it’s not a nice scene there, but i sense a much more joyous vibe and maybe that one is a proper revolution.
This website is always a hit or miss, but i found this to be a worthwhile discussion: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/jt0h9/i_am_marwan_bishara_al_jazeera_englishs_senior/
I’m drifting way too far.
I’m obviously not take it or leave it when it comes to F1. But i think it could be both more interesting, and more manageable, for fans and the participants. It’s a feat of logistics, sure, but that energy might be better used.
I don’t mean to be biased against those flyaways i listed, please note, just they have simply not yet managed to impress fully on my slow brain.
Oh, another big vote for a Parisian GP.
Cars are urban things or they are aspirational things. Street tracks fulfill the former, places like Laguna Seca i think fulfill the conquering terrain / territory urge.
Twinning the races is the best idea i heard for a while. Nice one!
– j
Nice calendar Joe, but the fans could definetely live without the Hungarian GP.
Do you think that a race or two in Africa would be a good idea?
Replace Laguna Seca with Road America, and that would be my perfect calendar too.
I’m not sure that the calendar needs to be split evenly between the regions. Europe has the heritage and the best tracks, I think they should have a lion’s share of races. Perhaps your system could have a number of ‘Classic’ venues that don’t count towards their share. Monaco and Spa for instance. I live in Australia, and European venues are the exotic ones to me; Korea and Malaysia not so much.
If you do want more races in the Asia-Pacific, why not New Zealand? They love their motorsport over there, and they generate a lot of top class drivers for such a small place. I’d love to see them host one. It’s a shame that Burnie’s fee would be worth more than their entire GDP.
Joe I am unlucky or lucky enough to reside in totalitarian China, i read much about why western society doesn’t agree with the Chinese system but having lived here its easier to understand why it is this way and probably it wont change any time soon, the real reason is 1 .4 billion people there is no magic wand that can rectify its issues, Personally there shouldn’t be a Chinese GP it only serves the Chinese Govt i am better mentality to show the world. I have never seen a govt to waste so much money
In regard to HK think again its actually run by the Central Govt they make a song and dance about it being independent but when push comes to shove watch out
Garry T,
I know that. I just like Hong Kong. I was not passing judgment on the way it is ruled. I also agree with you about the government. In order to make rapid progress with that many disparate people, races, clans and so on, a country must have strong leadership. That can get ugly. The alternative is to make slow progress, which can get ugly too, but for different reasons. The reality is that in the end the people do decide what they want. If enough of them rebel then the system collapses, a la Soviet Union.
Curious to know why you’re down on the Indian GP before it’s even run once. Conservatively estimated, there are probably as many dedicated F1 fans in India as in all of Europe. Is it the pre-Commonwealth Games hoopla (which eventually went off rather well, btw) or the proprietor of a certain F1 team that’s put you off ?
Kar,
Don’t be paranoid. I am not down on India. I have not been there yet. If Vijay Mallya is an advert for India then I will not enjoy the experience, but I do not think for one minute that this will be the case because if he was popular at home he would have loads of Indian sponsors…
I love that you want to race at Laguna Seca, probably my favorite circuit I’ve ever seen. It would probably need a Donnington-like extension to get it up to the required distance, but what a splendid circuit it is. And although 3 US races may be a bit much, I think Austin would be better than a return to the pollution capital of the world (aka Mexico City), plus the proximity to Mexico is fairly close anyways. Also, in a perfect world I’d swap out Albert Park for the old Adelaide one, but otherwise I rather like the Joe F1 WC calendar.
Wow that is totally perfect, agree 100%, especially the Laguna Seca part
Let’s keep an open mind about Austin. If the track design lives up to expectations it could be a great pairing with Mexico City and/or Brazil. Of course I could be biased because it’s the only chance this poor boy has of seeing an F1 race in person. Austin has a great vibe and would ncely compliment a U.S. race on either coast.
Michael Scanlan,
Have you seen me reporting about Austin being in trouble. I am waiting and watching.
Dear Joe,
Are you not coming to Shanghai in 2012? I can totally understand. It’s a shit hole.
Mike-in-Beijing,
Yes, I’ll be in Shanghai. This is what I do…
I must be the only resident of St Kilda that acually enjoys the F1. I take the week off work and go to all sessions. Most people here hate it and there’s always (a very one sided) public debate about the cost and noise. They do like to winge over here and I hope it stays beyond 2014. Do other tracks around the world have this kind of opposition?
BTW I love this blog
Cheers
Joe, surely Cape Town needs consideration at least. It is the only glamorous and feasible option in Africa. A GP in SA could do with your support.
Could you fit Imola into your calendar, Joe? It was far and away my favourite GP to visit.
Forzaminardi,
It was OK, but Monza is better.
No place for an Italian race Joe??
gpcampbell,
Is Monza not in Italy?
really interesting article Joe, I’d definitely be watching your F1 Championship (a race in the Bahamas might also be the perfect excuse for a family holiday too…)
Is motorsport legal in Switzerland? I thought they banned it decades ago, or is that just a Clarksonian urban legend?
Given that everyone seems to have set a 20 race limit for the season, what races do you think are going to leave the calendar over the next few years as all the new tracks come in? Presumably there’ll be more races announced over the next few years too, which’ll all need room.
I’m with Forzaminardi, Imola was beautiful. Scruffy, dirty, cramped and out-dated but somehow had that ever so Italian romance about it.
Also if you’re talking about a race in Argentina, surely you would want to have a look at Potrero de los Funes? It’s beyond beautiful. http://www.mvdracingteam.com/2010_tc/Champresult/127_Potrero%20de%20los%20Funes%20Aerial%20VIew.jpg
So thats it then. Bahrain is ok to go to once again. Hmm..
What? No room for the Copenhagen street race / Ring Knutstorp double-header???
Nygaard,
I have been to Knutstorp… so I know the truth! Give me Anderstorp any day. Alternatively, give me a decent racing circuit not lost in a forest filled with Volvos.
Can’t believe you’ve left out Pyongyang.
Well, according to “The World Atlas of Motor Racing” (It’s escaped the loft and back on my bookshelf!) “…in the 1980′s there were races in Barbados, at the Bushy Park track…” There’s also a nice layout of the “Nassau” circuit in the Bahamas although I don’t think F1 would find it all that interesting!
Ok Joe, swap it with Argentina in April then!
Joe, I’ve never heard of Bremgarten – what about it made it so special? A quick check on Wikipedia makes it look similar to the Nordschleife.
Have I just answered my own question?
As an African suggestion, ignoring the present day tensions with Ethiopia, I would suggest Asmara in Eritrea. Strong italian culture with lots of art deco buildings and this used to be a petrol station.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Tagliero_Building
Aah… Pyonyang, Paris of the Orient. Wonder what their internet access is like?
I’d love to see a grand prix around Elkhart Lake (Road America). That is an awesome track!!
Kar asked above why one might be a little down on the Indian GP.
Here’s a look into the other side of it:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/14/india-formula-one-fast-living
I discount the Guardian’s biases for myself, and in general the left wing of thought which seems to hate motorcars entirely, but it does seem there is potential for the new track there to leave a sour taste, and that’s not cool for F1. (and i personally gripe about cyclists only because i can no longer safely walk to where i want to get along the canals for fear of being assailed under a bridge where there’s hardly 2 foot of towpath. Oh, that and employees demanding to occupy 100s of sq ft of ultra prime office space as a “garage” . . must stop this line of thought now, the towpath used to be a contemplative walk for me for a good decade . .)
. .
Let’s see. Any chance of capturing Indian enthusiasm is worth the effort. What if they actually like it? Could present F1 even cope with that? Awesome things would happen if it got popular there. Not necessarily along the lines of the sanitised game we know lately, it’d be a tectonic shift.
Chris Patten has got to be a great starting point for understanding HK. You can find unwatchable, but very listenable clips of Dimbleby’s docu The Last Governor online. The Patten book of same name is cheap as chips out of print. I’ve just been turned on to a prolific author / publisher called Martin Booth, whose last book was his memoir of life there in the 50s, as a boy who spoke Cantonese and explored. Looks good, not dived in. F1 would totally fit with the ballsy attitude they have there naturally. To pull it off, you’d absolutely have to find a way to legalise betting on their local race, though. Hongkongers handicap horses like baseball fans keep stats. I’m way out of touch, however. Reflecting, it actually seems very odd, that the most money oriented sport has never visited possibly the most money oriented city . .
This and the Chimay tour blog (and remembering reading the Atlas PNJ mentions) make me think a photo essay book is well overdue. That is right up the street of someone i know . . hmmm!
– j
Watkins Glen (upstate New York) instead of some street race in East New York, NJ). If you want the New York skyline, surely TV can photoshop it into the picture like they do with the first down line in NFL broadcasts.
(what the infamous glowing hockey puck of FOX NHL games two decades ago).
One more thing. Every year Monaco HAS to be on the same day as the Indianapolis 500 and whatever those taxicab drivers call the 600 mile race in Charlotte. 14 hours of watching racin’!
My wish list
Asia-Pacific – Bathurst-that would be awesome, Macau street circuit, Suzuka, Korea, Shanghai, Singapore,
Europe – Old Nuringburg track with new run off, Spa, Monza, Monaco, Silverstone, Le Mans, Old Hockenheim track in forest
Americas – Montreal, Austin-great town, Interlagos, Argentina or Mexico?, Havana, Luna Seca, New York
Middle East – Abu Dubai
You could have more races if teams could go Montreal to NY to Austin (3 weeks)
Argentina to Interlagos (2 weeks)
Shanghai to macau to Korea to japan (4 weeks)
etc…..
Sorry Joe, serves me right for trying to read your blog at work!!
I think we’re heading towards a few alternating Grand Prix’s in Europe. Take off that awful European Grand Prix and tour it around circuits like Imola, Jerez etc.
Like whats done with the British Open in golf where every 4 years its at St. Andrews but tours round the other years.
Surely it would be easier to fill all the grandstands if the race only came once every 3 years?
Interesting list, There are some things that are agreeable. Wondering whether the street circuit at Macau would be a good substitute for Shanghai or Hong Kong? It’s interesting to figure what is the best solution for the US options for F1. As for Africa, and the Carribean, I wonder whether there are good options, or how you could coordinate an African GP into travel logistics except if it is paired with Argentina for South Africa, or if it were in Northern Africa, but is there enough political stability to support that???
As for Bribes in Argentina now it is the governments and circuits who are (not quite extorted) told to pony up money to pay off CVC/FOM/Bernie to pay a fixed cost before the race is held, not a percentage of the gate, which would encourage varied strategies to draw larger crowds. It seems that with a gate % FOM would be motivated to help the circuits find ways to draw more fans to the track.
My doubtless utterly unrealistic F1 calendar, which I put together for a blog post a couple of years back:
http://motorsportsramblings.blogspot.com/2009/05/fantasy-formula-one.html
(and I accept that only someone who a) watches the races on TV b) has no financial interest in the sport and c) isn’t risking his own limbs in F1 could think some of these were a good idea.
cobbs,
not being funny, but if you mean the Nordschleife, that’s some epic landscaping required to get run offs!
Being utterly not statistical, most of the fast corners have a 1:4 drop the other side, and they are silly silly fast . . . have to flatten the hill i think. I’m just being lazy, because i think the flatter parts are actually the slower bits.
My home town actually has a 1:4 road drop with a 60/80 converse camber switch over a mile stretch. Don’t often see whopping gravel traps on normal roads. I needed that once, sunburned and tired. (Can’t frigging shortshift in an auto with that much torque throw) Outrageously scary even if i was well back from armco. (sheer the other side) The Nord would start looking like a pebble beach!
Still, carry on, if you’ve a plan! (nicely meant, would love it if could be done)
Shall just hint again at these ECU mapping things which seem to be possible, which could go a very long way to keeping a F1 car solid on such a track, and my imagination that safety may still owe something to the history of driver aids more than we care to think. Never will forget Alonso going off in 3 at Melbourne, (Benetton) dramatic looking spin, “computer broke down”. IIRC that was when driver aids were supposed to have been banned . .
– j
spa spa spa spa spa spa eggs beans and spa
Exactly. Spa only gets more legendary as the rest of the world recedes into blandness. Fifty years from now people will look back and be amazed that a place like that even existed, the same way we now feel watching Fangio and Moss hurtle around an armco-less Ring.
Joe
I’d dump Hungaboring and replace it with the Osterreichring restored to its former glory, come on Herr Mateshitz. I’d also dump Hockenheim, sorry it’s now just a go cart track and keep the Nurgurgring. Spa is a must along with Monaco and I agree it would be nice to be able fit in Imola now and then. Agree with your earlier correspondent. As an Australian, Europe has the best tracks and to me F1 should remain Eurocentric.
John (other John),
The Indian GP is too expensive for the average Indian (and that includes me). How do you think Formula 1 is going to capture the imagination of non-F1 fans in India (if even as an F1 fan I consider the tickets prices outrageous)? If anything it’s going to make motor racing being considered a negative activity in India thanks to the Formula 1 extravagance.
A country like India doesn’t need F1 at the moment. It needs more cost-effective forms of motor racing such as WTCC, IndyCars and Superleague Formula (and even perhaps Moto GP and Superbikes) to be racing on street circuits rather than purpose built F1-spec facilities in the middle-of-nowhere. Street circuits get people closer to the action, and after 5 years of so the people will be mature enough to comprehend proper specialized circuit racing such as F1 and sports prototype racing.
Trouble is, people like Vicky Chandhok, Vijay Mallya, Sanjay Sharma (JK Tyre motorsport boss) and other powers-that-be in Indian motorsport don’t have the foresight to understand it. Motor racing was left in our hands when the British gave us independence in 1947. What did these people and their ancestors do with it? Apart from making it a family sport for they and their kids (and their silver spoon friends) to indulge in, they never made it grow and enable it to capture the Indian imagination. The result is that motor racing is a sport still in its infancy in spite of the fact that it was practiced from the 30 and 40s itself in British India.
It’s because of the inactivity of these motorsport “stalwarts” of India, any kind of motor racing is still considered needless and “expensive entertainment.” I’m quite sure the Indian GP will go the way of Turkey. Joe, you heard it here first. But I do hope I’m terribly wrong!
I’ve thrown realistic political, economic, geographic and travel considerations to the winds and conceived a highly unrealistic calendar. I had mentioned it in the comments to one of Joe’s blogs sometime ago. Here it is:
Was just thinking, with Le Mans 24 Hours, Indy 500 all in a space of a few days, wouldn’t it be great if the respective series owners and governing bodies could break their differences and create a race series with a mammoth number of races at the following circuits :
Daytona Speedway, Florida – USA (corresponding with Daytona 500)
Albert Park, Melbourne – AUSTRALIA
Laguna Seca – USA
Long Beach – USA (corresponding with the Long Beach IndyCar round)
Sepang – MALAYSIA
Istanbul Park – TURKEY
Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo – MONACO (corresponding with Monaco Grand Prix)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – USA (corresponding with Indy 500)
Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe – FRANCE (corresponding with Le Mans 24 Hours)
Spa-Francorchamps – BELGIUM
Nurburgring Nordschleife – GERMANY (corresponding with Nurburgring 24 Hours)
Watkins Glen – USA
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal – CANADA
Brands Hatch – GREAT BRITAIN
Silverstone – GREAT BRITAIN
Monza – ITALY
Taupo – NEW ZEALAND
Algarve, Portimao – PORTUGAL
Motorland Aragon – SPAIN
Jerez – SPAIN
Bathurst Mt. Panorama – AUSTRALIA (corresponding with Bathurst 24 Hours)
Phillip Island – AUSTRALIA
Surfers’ Paradise – AUSTRALIA
San Luis – ARGENTINA (coinciding with the GT1 round)
Interlagos – BRAZIL
Talladega – USA (coinciding with the NASCAR chase race)
Marina Bay Circuit – SINGAPORE
Suzuka – JAPAN
Macau – MACAU (coinciding with the Macau Grand Prix)
Kyalami – SOUTH AFRICA
Feel free to comment on this folks!
sounds like you’re thinking more about holidays than racing!
laguna seca is not a track for an F1 car, it’s way too short, has only one decent corner and the cars are totally unsuited to it. road america would be better. or lets wait to see if tilke can finally produce a decent track in austin. I’d also like to see the F1 cars doing a non-championship event around an oval (with free engines / boxes) in the states – firstly to get the popularity back up over there, but i think it could just be quite interesting too.
melbourne can stay, but whilst we’re down that way, how about bathurst too?
john g,
No, I am thinking about places that F1 should be because of the quality of the tracks, the strategic positioning and, in the case of the Caribbean the glamour factor. Bathurst is impossible for competitive F1 cars.
It’s got to include Österreichring, the real one not the A-1 ring, Spa and Monza.
Portugal is difficult, Portimao is a great circuit but take binoculars, you are a long way from the track. Estoril is not a great circuit but Cascais is a nice area, better than Estoril itself we think Joe, and very convenient for the circuit.
Zandvoort is a nice idea, trouble is half of the old circuit no longer exists, Dutch friends tell me.
Le Mans, no!! Leave it to the endurance racres, they are far better suited to the Mulsanne Straight, the Bugatti circuit is hopeless, even for MotoGP. Dijon is a good circuit, probably not long enough for F1 cars and definitely not enough run-off area, shame.
Laguna Seca is too short, F1 cars would probably lap in 60 seconds, I did a comparison of qualifying times for F1 and MotoGP at Catalunya and Silverstone to come to that conclusion.
I’m surprised nobody has suggested Mugello, take binoculars if you go to MotoGP, great circuit! But Monza has the tradition.
Middle-East, forget it all together, Oops I forgot, it’s the money.
It’s all Pie-in-the-Sky but it’s been fun.
I would like to see more street circuits in the calendar. I am not personally a big fan of circuit until and unless they are really interesting. Most of the modern circuits that I have seen in the last 6 or 8 years are either boring or not very challenging for driver or no over taking opportunities.
may be they should have 12 permanent circuits and have 8 floating circuits if any of the floating circuits really impresses then make it a permanent one in the calendar this way it keeps the sport interesting and throws new challenges to the drivers and the technical staff
Being from India I would like to see a street circuit in leh\Ladak which should be fun at 12000FT+ above see level it will be great seeing new challenges for drivers and machines
Just my opinion.
But I truly enjoy reading your blog Joe! Keep it going man YOU ROCK
This looks like fun. Here’s my go at it, in order, keeping logistics in mind for the schedule… It would start in early March for me too!
01. Turkey – Istanbul (Starting the season here would attract interest to the wonderful circuit and boost ticket sales to make it viable)
02. Germany – Nurburgring GP CIrcuit
03. Spain – Paul Ricard
04. Portugal – Estoril
05. Monaco – Monte Carlo Street Circuit
06. Australia – Melbourne Albert Park
07. Malaysia – Sepang
08. Japan – Suzuka
09. South Africa – Kyalami
10. United States – New York Street Circuit
11. Canada – Montreal
12. Austria – Red Bull Ring
13. European GP – Mugello (saving Monza for the end of season…)
14. France – Magny Cours
15. Ireland – Phoenix Park Street Circuit
16. United Kingdom – Silverstone
17. Netherlands – Zandvoort
18. Belgium – Spa
19. Italy – Monza (definitely a special circuit to end the season at!)
PT: I don’t get it? what kind of car you want to race in this serie? Lemans serie type , F1 , F3, Nascar? which one?
Streetrace in Luzern? Wild, but original idea!
There is only one convenient way to get to LU by road, so it might be a logistical nightmare. However, using local bus terminal as pit, car could be transported by train, as train station is 10meters away!
Realistically, city is bit too tight for a race track, especially around the lake and wooden bridge (perhaps even tighter than in Monaco!).
Furthermore Luzern somehow happens to be in the middle of nowhere, as one of my friends from Zurich put it
And with Swiss ban on almost all motorsports…but I would love to sit in the “Restaurante Padrino”, sipping some nice win and watch F1 car scream by…
Don’t diss’ the Austin track just yet. It has a good amount of elevation change, nice layout and many opportunities for passing. Austin is a wonderful city with many things to do. I’m looking forward to meeting any and all who come here, it’s going to be a great race.
Welcome to the rebirth of the USGP and welcome to the rebirth of F1 racing in America.
Alec,
It’s a worldwide single-seater open wheel racing series like Formula 1 (I’d wish F1 would adapt itself to this, but it ain’t gonna happen) that can race on road and street circuits and superspeedways (large ovals) such as Homestead, Daytona, Indianapolis and Talladega. The best part is that this would be a series that would shatter all political barriers that exist between the various motor racing series in the world. At Talladega it would race as part of the NASCAR chase race weekend, at Bathurst as part of the V8 Supercars schedule, at Indianapolis as part of the Indy 500 package, at Le Mans during the season of the 24-hour race, at Macau as part of the motorsports lineup, etc. I’d like to call this series the UMOR – A1 (Ultimate Motor Racing – UMOR)!
PT,
Where would you put all the haulers, and all the equipment, to support such a concept? Pit lane is only so big, and what you are proposing will eat up a garage 3 times the size that currently exists, at any of these mentioned venues.
Every series will want testing and practice, with their facilities on the pit straight.
Although, if it ever happened, I would be there. Just to learn on how they overcame the logistics concerns.
Joe,
I have heard you mention Chinese road safety could be better but this 4 year old looks pretty good to me
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/chinese-girl-four-drives-along-motorway-090410886.html
Au revoir, Austin. I never liked the idea anyway, and titling it “The Circuit of the Americas” (or whatever) annoys me all the more. And I hope that the Giants whip the Cowboys twice this year.
Geoff,
I think you may be getting a little ahead of yourself celebrating the demise of Austin.
Jumpy Bob,
Thanks for the reality check! As I said, I’ve thrown all realistic considerations out the window, but I am thinking of how to make this possible. Maybe, a broken apart calendar featuring half the rounds and alternating every year with the other rounds. As for the haulers and equipment, well, that’s an issue I have to think of!
PT,
the expense of any race is always beyond who is normal. Who are fans adjust themselves accordingly. So that is part of the false economy fallacy, horrible as it is, of Brit fans saying they will not go for Sky, one even saying that GP+ is too harsh a cost now. What is normal, is to follow what is your passion. Ever chased a girl? Sorry to be so rude, but however you fancy life, that eats money. You want it. A to B let alone Zed, is very hard. Other people have figured it out, at attrition rates of survival, business or otherwise, you cannot, nor can i comprehend. They charge as result a gate ticket. That’s the easy route. Did the work before us. I shall get pissed off when they cease to respect their history or their relationship with that through their fans.
The nonsense is claims that F1 can be proletariat, on the street, for whichever territory it touches. That is fantasy. You inverted my meaning as if i was suggesting a possibility of mass revolution. I never said such. I was concerned solely with how that utter connivance might have been sold to the unsuspecting. The imaginary cheap audience becomes fodder for the sponsors, not racegoers, get yerselfs some nearby scaffolds, fix that problem. . As for thinking i have any delusions whether Herr Biedermeyer can afford this sport, i have no conviction in your arguments. Normal guy not interested. The English lot with their telly, after all, had something taken away, not sold to them, and not even the courtesy of being sold the new.
I’ll not condemn before it happens, but say again, if any little bit of India suddenly likes F1, absolutely brilliant. Bring that on. Badly want lots more caring.
– john
John (other John),
What is Formula 1 without the fans or the crowds? If the crowds aren’t there, it ceases to be a sport and more a science experiment. And if Formula 1 should be an international sport it has to adjust to the circumstances that people face in their respective countries. Ludicrous ticket prices aren’t the way to do it.
The gate ticket you mentioned isn’t an explanation for the costs and effort to put on the show, but most of it is to fund one man’s (or his family’s or companies’ or whatever) lust. If that doesn’t sound wrong to you, your conception of justice is totally misguided. You can’t justify financial exploitation as “the way it is, and always will be.” If Formula 1 can’t cater to the needs of people (and I don’t mean people living in Europe alone), it should modify its name to the Formula 1 European (and for filthy rich blokes all over the world) Championship.
It costs more than Rs. 30,000 for a grandstand seat at the Indian Grand Prix! Got that? Do you expect fans to sell their belongings for three days of action? You need to have a reality check mate, not me.
Finally, here are two things to chew on before you script your poetic reply:
Sport, music and the arts are for the common man, not for the creme de la creme alone!
Secondly, one of the chief reasons so much is wrong with this world is people thinking, “it will always be that way.”