2014 F1: 21 Races On The List

The track with a view of New York, its 2013 race postponed, is again absent from a draft 21-race Calendar released by teams and broadcasters.

Team sources, sent the list by commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, expressed some scepticism 
about the number of races. One team principal, here in Monza for the 2013 Italian F1 GP, told Reuters: "It remains to be seen which one will be dropped."

TEAMS STRESSED

If approved by the International Automobile Federation at a World Motorsport Council meeting in Coatia later in September 2013, the calendar will have the most races since the series started in the 1950's.

The record is 20; 19 are being raced in 2013 and most of the teams are reluctant to go above that number because of the stresses imposed on their personnel.

Mexico, a new GP in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, and South Korea each has an asterisk against its slot, indicating it is subject to contract and track approval. India has been dropped already (hopes of a comeback in 2015) but Austria is due to make a return after an 11-year break with a race at Spielberg on June 22.

Mexico's absence has been even longer: the most recent GP was in 1992, was won by Britain's Nigel Mansell. The country has two drivers in F1 - McLaren's Sergio Perez and Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez - and has been pushing hard to get back on the calendar for some years. The race would be the first leg of a triple-header in the Americas: next would be the US GP in Austin, Texas and the season's finale in Brazil.

AUSTRALIA FIRST AGAIN

Bahrain's bid to open the championship in what will be a new era of turbocharged V6  hybrid engines appears to have failed; it's booked as the fifth race of 2014.

The draft calendar has Australia as the usual opener, this time of a season that could bring a radical shake-up of the pecking order with a race in Melbourne on March 16. Malaysia will follow the next weekend.

China and Korea would be next, on April 6 and 13.

Here's the draft calendar as sent to the teams:
1 Mar 16 - Australia (Melbourne)
2 Mar 23 - Malaysia (Sepang)
3 Apr 6 - China (Shanghai)
4 Apr 13 - Korea (Mokpo)*
5 Apr 27 - Bahrain
6 May 11 - Spain (Barcelona)
7 May 25 - Monaco
8 Jun 8 - Canada (Montreal)
9 Jun 22 - Austria (Spielberg)
10 Jul 6 - Britain (Silverstone)
11 Jul 20 - Germany (Hockenheim)
12 Jul 27 - Hungary (Budapest)
13 Aug 24 - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
14 Sep 7 - Italy (Monza)
15 Sep 21 - Singapore
16 Oct 5 - Japan (Suzuka)
17 Oct 19 - Russia (Sochi)*
18 Oct 26 - Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
19 Nov 9 - Mexico (Mexico City)*
20 Nov 16 - USA (Austin, Texas)
21 Nov 30 - Brazil (Sao Paulo)

*To be confirmed