F1 supremo tells Martin Brundle F1's global expansion will continue
Sunday 28 October 2012 08:32, UK
Bernie Ecclestone has raised the spectre of "two or three more" European races being cut from the Formula 1 calendar as the sport continues its global expansion over the coming decade.
The scheduled inclusion of New Jersey on next season's calendar would have reduced the number of European rounds to just 35% - exactly half the number as in 1997 - while future new races have been mooted in Thailand, Mexico and South Africa. Asked about Ecclestone's prediction by Sky Sports News' Craig Slater, McLaren and FOTA chief Martin Whitmarsh admitted he would prefer the current balance on the calendar to be maintained, but conceded that F1 needed to go where there was the demand and finances. "Bernie's responsible for the commerical development of the sport," he said. "But we can only race in European if people want us there and there's a lot of competition, a lot of places fortunately want to host grands prix. "At the moment 20 races, now the majority are outside Europe is quite a hard slog for the teams. But I think it's Bernie's job to promote and develop the sport and I hope we stay with the same proportion of European races personally - but that's probably because I have to travel to them all! "But, frankly, Bernie's got to go out there and get the deals where he can."
