2016 F1 Calendar: Will There Be 21 Races on the Schedule or Will Some Disappear?
On September 30, the FIA announced a new provisional schedule for the 2016 Formula One season. The new draft features several modifications from the previous version, released in July, but still contains 21 races—a controversial number, as it would represent the longest F1 season ever.
Teams and drivers have expressed concerns in the past about expanding the schedule beyond 20 races. In 2013, for example, Sebastian Vettel told Reuters' Alan Baldwin:
"Twenty is enough races. Maybe for us it's possible to have another one here or there but especially for the teams, in terms of logistics and for team staff, I think it's already a big effort. Very little time, very few weekends to spend at home with their families, with their kids. I think you mustn't forget about that.
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But just because a race is included on a provisional calendar doesn't mean it will actually take place.
The Korean Grand Prix appeared on a 2015 draft schedule last year before dropping off when the final calendar was released. And the German Grand Prix, which has taken place almost every year since the beginning of the F1 World Championship in 1950, was scrapped after neither the Nurburgring, nor Hockenheim could reach a deal with series boss Bernie Ecclestone to host it.
In September 2013, the provisional 2014 calendar showed 22 races, including Korea, Mexico and the Grand Prix of America in New Jersey. None of those races made it onto the final calendar, which ultimately featured 19 grands prix.
So, will any of the races from the provisional 2016 calendar suffer a similar fate to Korea and New Jersey?
| Australian | March 20 |
| Bahrain | April 3 |
| Chinese | April 17 |
| Russian | May 1 |
| Spanish | May 15 |
| Monaco | May 29 |
| Canadian | June 12 |
| European (Azerbaijan) | June 19 |
| Austrian | July 3 |
| British | July 10 |
| Hungarian | July 24 |
| German | July 31 |
| Belgian | August 28 |
| Italian | September 4 |
| Singapore | September 18 |
| Malaysian | October 2 |
| Japanese | October 9 |
| United States | October 23 |
| Mexican | November 6 |
| Brazilian | November 13 |
| Abu Dhabi | November 27 |
For most of the races, we can say with 99 percent certainty that they will be on the final calendar. But there are a couple that do have question marks beside them—at least for now.
The misnamed European Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan, sounds like it will make its debut in 2016.
FIA technical director Charlie Whiting recently told Autosport's Ian Parkes:
"I had a meeting with Hermann Tilke [circuit designer] in Belgium and apparently it's all good. It's not like a normal track being constructed, of course, because it is a proper, pure street circuit. There are a few worrying points they are doing their best to overcome, but it's going pretty much as planned I would say.
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Until the circuit is actually approved by the FIA, though, nothing is certain. Remember, we also kept hearing there was lots of progress being made on the Port Imperial circuit in New Jersey, but nothing has come of that race.
The difference is that the Baku race is a prestige project for the Azerbaijani government, and if authoritarian president Ilham Aliyev wants the circuit finished, it will get done.
However, there is also Azerbaijan's curious date to consider. It is scheduled for one week after the Canadian Grand Prix (and on the same day as the 24 Hours of Le Mans), which will be a tight turnaround for teams heading to a new country for the first time. Is it possible the race was placed there with the knowledge that it might not happen this year?
Let's just say it wouldn't be the first time a race that was never going to happen was included on a provisional calendar (see Korea, 2015).
And what about the British Grand Prix?
Ecclestone recently told Forbes' Christian Sylt, "We have got a clause in our contract where we can stop it in 2016 and I don’t know if the race is going to continue next year."
The Silverstone circuit, owned by the British Racing Drivers Club, is having trouble coming up with the estimated $24 million hosting fee for 2016, according to Sylt.
Of course, the British Grand Prix is one of the original F1 races, having been run every year sine 1950, and the home race for the majority of the teams. It is unthinkable that it would be left off the calendar.
But the same was thought of the German Grand Prix, when the Nurburgring had similar money problems, and yet here we are—in the midst of a season with Mercedes about to clinch their second straight championship and two German drivers accounting for six wins in 14 races, but no race in Germany.
The odds of losing the British race are low, but the fact it is even up for discussion is concerning.
Finally, there is the aforementioned German Grand Prix. It is scheduled to return to Hockenheim in 2016 as part of the circuit's race-sharing agreement with the Nurburgring. Hockenheim hosted the race in 2014, although it was not well-attended, and circuit manager Georg Seiler told German news agency SID (h/t Yahoo Sports) the race will be back in 2016.
"It's 100 percent sure, even a 1,000 percent sure," he said. "We have a contract for next year and we have always respected our contract."
There is no reason to doubt that for next year. The big question is whether the race will go ahead in 2017, when it is supposed to return to the Nurburgring.
So where does that leave us? There are no races that we can say are likely to drop off the provisional calendar, meaning 21 races looms as an ever-increasing possibility.
The teams will not be happy, but most fans are unlikely to complain about more racing. Ecclestone and the sport's owners will be pleased to bring in more money from hosting fees, broadcast agreements, trackside advertising and all their other revenue streams.
In December, the World Motor Sport Council will approve the final schedule for 2016. On his personal blog, well-connected F1 reporter Joe Saward wrote of the provisional calendar, "I am told it will not change again…We’ll see."
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