2016 Calendar Changes-Bizarre

[Alan52]

The new 2016 schedule changes seem ridiculous
1The teams wanted back to backs in fly always to save money.The new dates remove the Australia-China and Bahrain-Russia back to backs and put 2 weeks between each of those races.
2Le Mans date was supposedly protected by the FIA against a F1 race on the same weekend.This was brought on a few years ago when Bernie suggested he might have a race in France on Le Mans weekend as a substitute for New Jersey.Yet here we have a European race on Le Mans weekend.Bad luck NicoHulkenberg
3Malaysia was understandably upset at having a date near Singapore.A bit like having Silverstone and Brands Hatch races in succession.Changing the gap from 1 to 2 weeks would do little to help the Malaysian organisers.
Personally I am upset at paying fees to change my Melbourne flights,accommodation etc but I feel that these changes are being done for no other reason than to upset teams,spectators ,The ACO and Malaysian organisers.What is the logic in all of this?

[wolfhound]

It looks pretty certain that Bernie doesn't want F1 drivers racing at LeMans as last year was the only time in recent memory that there was not a clash and that was ordered by J. Todt.
I would never trust an F1 until set in stone yet the LM24 hours is set in stone a year before and prior to that you can be sure it will be on one of about 2 weekends.

[Alan52]

Sepang has F1 and MotoGP on successive weekends!

[wolfhound]

Originally Posted by Alan52

Sepang has F1 and MotoGP on successive weekends!

It's a wonder that they weren't scheduled for the same weekend.

[Mike Kelly 1]

Due to the British F1 GP moving dates I now have to change the holiday bookings I've made for my family holiday in July. (My holidays are always booked for the week after the GP) Thats a lot of amendment fees for flight and hotel changes. Thanks Bernie ...... NOT!

[ScotsBrutesFan]

I'd hang off on changes until after the world council in December or January. The dates could easily change again

[bludvl_x19]

A number of events in Australia have announced that their dates have changed, as they are dependant/reliant on the Aus GP to set their events.

[Mike Harte]

This is all caused by BCE's drive to increase FOM's bank balances by having too many races, which diminishes, in my mind, their value. He also decided, for reasons best known by himself, to ignore the summer break which had been introduced for the benefit of the teams' personnel so that they could spend some quality time with their families; he may be able to drag around his latest trophy wife to these exotic places, but the hard-working truckies, engineers and others don't all have that luxury.

Also, the reason that the calender had to be changed is that the triple-heading of meetings would have placed huge strains on the teams and their personnel. And as for Le Mans, the calender cannot depend on just the wishes of, perhaps, one or two drivers who might or might not wish to drive at the 24 Heures; it might be nice, but F1 is about what is best for 1000s of other individuals.

[NaBUru38]

Now all major championships around are rescheduling to avoid F1 clashes.

I hate that F1 changes dates so late.

[GingerPixel]

Bernie needs to do something about the probably pretty attractive draw of actually winning something significant that Le Mans presents.

[Mekola]

Formula One and FOM should be expurgated by FIA. Interventiion must be done and Bernie Ecclestone should END his reign.

[djinvicta]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

It's a wonder that they weren't scheduled for the same weekend.

There is a great idea. Moto GP and F1 at the same circuits, same weekend. That would be a draw..

[bjohnsonsmith]

What is next year's prospective calendar?

[chillibowl]

provisional calendar from Formula1.com

The revised provisional calendar in full:

March 20 - Australia
April 3 - Bahrain
April 17 - China
May 1 - Sochi
May 15 - Spain
May 29 - Monaco
June 12 - Canada
June 19 - Baku*
July 3 - Austria
July 10 - Britain
July 24 - Hungary
July 31 - Germany
August 28 - Belgium
September 4 - Italy
September 18 - Singapore
October 2 - Malaysia
October 9 - Japan
October 23 - USA
November 6 - Mexico
November 13 - Brazil
November 27 - Abu Dhabi

[alan1302]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly 1

Due to the British F1 GP moving dates I now have to change the holiday bookings I've made for my family holiday in July. (My holidays are always booked for the week after the GP) Thats a lot of amendment fees for flight and hotel changes. Thanks Bernie ...... NOT!

Wait until the finalised and official dates are out next time!!

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by alan1302

Wait until the finalised and official dates are out next time!!

Often not possible here in Australia to wait until final confirmation because by then only flight and accommodation options are at vastly inflated prices if available at all.Have to give a big thanks to Australian Grand Prix Corporation who negotiated with airlines and accommodation providers so that people could switch bookings without paying change fees and higher prices.

[wolfhound]

Originally Posted by Alan52

Often not possible here in Australia to wait until final confirmation because by then only flight and accommodation options are at vastly inflated prices if available at all.Have to give a big thanks to Australian Grand Prix Corporation who negotiated with airlines and accommodation providers so that people could switch bookings without paying change fees and higher prices.

I have heard that a certain organisation who is involved in the running of F1 buys up all the hotel rooms prior to dates being announced and then sells them on afterwards at hugely inflated prices.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

provisional calendar from Formula1.com

The revised provisional calendar in full:

March 20 - Australia
April 3 - Bahrain
April 17 - China
May 1 - Sochi
May 15 - Spain
May 29 - Monaco
June 12 - Canada
June 19 - Baku*
July 3 - Austria
July 10 - Britain
July 24 - Hungary
July 31 - Germany
August 28 - Belgium
September 4 - Italy
September 18 - Singapore
October 2 - Malaysia
October 9 - Japan
October 23 - USA
November 6 - Mexico
November 13 - Brazil
November 27 - Abu Dhabi

I know this is only provisional but Australia through to Austria looks like a logistical nightmare.

[bella]

it's austria to the uk that's making me wince a bit! austria back to back with hungary would make WAY more sense, that's only a day's drive for the trucks and hostility kit.

key word there being "sense" i suppose!

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by bella

it's austria to the uk that's making me wince a bit! austria back to back with hungary would make WAY more sense, that's only a day's drive for the trucks and hostility kit.

key word there being "sense" i suppose!

If that makes you wince, imagine what it will be like for the truckies packing up in Montreal with just a week to go before the first ever race in Baku, half way around the world. What seems weird is that the teams usually have to deliver their air containers to the handling agents on a Friday in the UK for the away flights that normally take-off on a Saturday morning. This allows time for the freight to arrive, go through local Customs, and then be delivered to the circuits by Wednesday morning.

This back-to-back makes absolutely no sense. But another one which would have been easier, and has been done before, is Barcelona back-to back with Monaco; just a few hours apart on the road.

[bella]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

If that makes you wince, imagine what it will be like for the truckies packing up in Montreal with just a week to go before the first ever race in Baku, half way around the world.

that's kind of standard though. they do air freight back to backs often, and neither venues are far from airports. it's the sheer logistics of packing up dozens of trucks worth of hostility and team stuff, getting those trucks back to the uk in time to set up all that crap and be ready for the thursday nonsense with the austria/uk one.

they struggled with the 10 hours from barcelona to monaco and setup a day earlier, and austria to the uk is 2 days with double manning (i did it in 2 3/4 single manned on calais/dover, they may even do relays or something silly). after barcelona, mclaren were still building their motorhome in monaco on the press day, and red bull used the old red bulletin setup for barcelona to avoid the gin palace transfer drama. they'll need to do similar for austria/uk, though both are the kind of venues that they'd really rather not use a small hospitality unit for given they're home races...

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

If that makes you wince, imagine what it will be like for the truckies packing up in Montreal with just a week to go before the first ever race in Baku, half way around the world. What seems weird is that the teams usually have to deliver their air containers to the handling agents on a Friday in the UK for the away flights that normally take-off on a Saturday morning. This allows time for the freight to arrive, go through local Customs, and then be delivered to the circuits by Wednesday morning.

This back-to-back makes absolutely no sense. But another one which would have been easier, and has been done before, is Barcelona back-to back with Monaco; just a few hours apart on the road.

According to that calendar, Spain and Monaco are back to back. Canada to Baku makes me wince as do the first four races, Australia - Bahrain - China - Sochi - Spain. The word jet-lag doesn't even begin to describe what's going on there.

Who dreamt up this calendar?

[bella]

spain and monaco aren't, theres 14 days between them which is normal...

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by bella

spain and monaco aren't, theres 14 days between them which is normal...

They're back to back in that they are consecutive and the teams will probably need those two weeks to recover, after, all the toing and froing from Australia and then eventually to Spain.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Provisional Calendar

June 19 - Baku*

I think I might nip down the bookies and put a fiver on that not happening.