Formula One Teams Looking for Clarification over 2012 Race Calendar

Formula One teams are looking for justification from F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone over the schedule of next season’s race calendar after it was already signed off without their support, according to media reports.

Under the Concorde Agreement, which divides up the commercial revenues of the sport, teams have to give approval to a calendar if it contains more than 17 races and if more than half of these events take place outside Europe and the United States. 

The 2012 calendar was published recently by the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body, and contained 20 races – 11 of which can be classified as ‘flyaways’.

The Formula One Teams’ Association has reportedly written to both F1’s commercial rights-holder Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt in the belief the calendar was drawn up without the Concorde Agreement procedure having been followed. 

There are concerns about the logistics and costs of the final sequence of races, with the sport set to visit Singapore, Japan, Korea, India, Abu Dhabi and Brazil, as well as the inaugural US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas between the 23rd September to 25th November. 

Ecclestone reportedly rejected the teams’ concerns, stating they have the choice of competing. 

According to media reports, the F1 boss said: ‘They don’t have to go if they don’t want to. They are lucky we have got races. Otherwise they would all go out of business’