Ratified 2012 F1 calendar

[Tathrim]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/form...e/14738779.stm

So, Turkey's been dropped.

Full calendar is as follows:

18 March - Australia (Melbourne)
25 March - Malaysia (Sepang)
15 April - China (Shanghai)
22 April - Bahrain (Sakhir)
13 May - Spain (Barcelona)
27 May - Monaco (Monte Carlo)
10 June - Canada (Montreal)
24 June - Europe (Valencia)
8 July - Britain (Silverstone)
22 July - Germany (Hockenheim)
29 July - Hungary (Hungaroring)
2 September - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
9 September - Italy (Monza)
23 September - Singapore (Marina Bay)
7 October - Japan (Suzuka)
14 October - Korea (Yeongam)
28 October - India (New Delhi)
4 November - Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
18 November - United States (Austin)
25 November - Brazil (Interlagos)

Lots of haulage either end of the season, but the November US date makes sense. Bahrain is later in the season, and will probably be a pending further unrest in the region.

Thoughts?

[strider]

For anyone who has to work in F1 it's a disaster. There are 6 occasions when races are back-to-back, so that's 12 of the 18.

The problem is that the people who decide the calendar are not the ones who have to work with it.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

I would have thought that the way the backs to Backs are set up isn't too bad at all really

18 March - Australia (Melbourne)
25 March - Malaysia (Sepang)
3 Week Gap
15 April - China (Shanghai)
22 April - Bahrain (Sakhir)
2 Week Gap
13 May - Spain (Barcelona)
2 Week Gap
27 May - Monaco (Monte Carlo)
2 Week Gap
10 June - Canada (Montreal)
2 Week Gap
24 June - Europe (Valencia)
2 Week Gap
8 July - Britain (Silverstone)
2 Week Gap
22 July - Germany (Hockenheim)
29 July - Hungary (Hungaroring)
Summer Shut Down
2 September - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
9 September - Italy (Monza)
2 Week Gap
23 September - Singapore (Marina Bay)
2 Week Gap
7 October - Japan (Suzuka)
14 October - Korea (Yeongam)
2 Week Gap
28 October - India (New Delhi)
4 November - Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
2 Week Gap
18 November - United States (Austin)
25 November - Brazil (Interlagos

The awkward looking one is Singapore, Japan Korea. Purely in terms of calendar this would scream triple header with a 3 week gap before India.
Logistically of course a flyway triple header would be a nightmare, and understandably I doubt the teams would approve anyway.

Better pairings might have been China with Japan/ Korea at the start of the season, Singapore with Japan/Korea towards the End, with Bahrain joining Abu Dhabi as a Middle Eastern Double Header. That would leave India as the singleton. I think it would possible allow at least one of the current 2 week gaps to become a 3 week.

[Spritle]

I heard but I'm not sure if is true that the teams aren't too happy that there are no direct flights from Austin to Sao Paulo.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Spritle

I heard but I'm not sure if is true that the teams aren't too happy that there are no direct flights from Austin to Sao Paulo.

Won't they just charter a plane/s?

[Spritle]

Originally Posted by wnut

Won't they just charter a plane/s?

I have no idea how that all works but I believe most of the team flies commercial based on how many team members I've seen waiting for commercial flights in airports at venues.

It's amazing that Turkey is gone after only 7 years. I have a feeling some of the other new venues will drop away quickly too.

[flor]

Originally Posted by wnut

Won't they just charter a plane/s?

Considering HRT sometimes uses Ryan Air I doubt that chartering is a standard. Even Toyota back in the day used normal flights. However if all teams charter some planes together it might be the way to go in that special case.

[strider]

You guys are missing the point completely and taking a very simplistic view.

Getting the cars and equipment around is not the problem, unless something like the volcanic dust cloud from Iceland occurs again.

The problem is the workload for the team members, which is why I said what I did in my first post.

If you work at the coal face in F1 you've virtually sold your soul to it. It takes up your whole life. Even when you do get home home you're tired and grumpy so the strain it puts on family life is immense. I talk regularly to one person who's in that position and that's how I know. Whether or not you believe me is up to you, but it's the truth.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Surely that is just one of the sacrifices of being involved with F1.

I can't imagine that the person to whom you refer walked into the job with his/her eyes shut and was not expecting that type of lifestyle that goes along with the Job.

[flor]

Originally Posted by strider

You guys are missing the point completely and taking a very simplistic view.

Getting the cars and equipment around is not the problem, unless something like the volcanic dust cloud from Iceland occurs again.

The problem is the workload for the team members, which is why I said what I did in my first post.

If you work at the coal face in F1 you've virtually sold your soul to it. It takes up your whole life. Even when you do get home home you're tired and grumpy so the strain it puts on family life is immense. I talk regularly to one person who's in that position and that's how I know. Whether or not you believe me is up to you, but it's the truth.

I can only compare to what Toyota paid and what you get for jobs in Germany that require similar qualifications and the wages at Toyota were 2-4 times as high. Although I don't think people work in F1 for the money, at least not engineers, mechanics etc. it is a as good as it gets kind of compensation for a without a doubt ridiculous workload.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by strider

You guys are missing the point completely and taking a very simplistic view.

Getting the cars and equipment around is not the problem, unless something like the volcanic dust cloud from Iceland occurs again.

The problem is the workload for the team members, which is why I said what I did in my first post.

If you work at the coal face in F1 you've virtually sold your soul to it. It takes up your whole life. Even when you do get home home you're tired and grumpy so the strain it puts on family life is immense. I talk regularly to one person who's in that position and that's how I know. Whether or not you believe me is up to you, but it's the truth.

I understand where you coming from.

[wolfhound]

The latest calendar may not be the last if anybody has read the article by Dieter Rencken on Autosport.com where he was told ...."as one insider advised, be sure to book cancellable hotel rooms in Barcelona in May." and that Turkey may find its way back onto the calendar.

[Purist]

Hmm, now that's interesting. I mean, I'm glad that Turkey may not be dead yet. I'm intrigued that the effective Spanish GP might be at Valencia, unless there's going to be an emergency switch to Aragon or something.

[wolfhound]

From the article by Dieter Rencken mentioned above it might also be Valencia that losses its G.P. and Bernie holds most of the aces.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Purist

Hmm, now that's interesting. I mean, I'm glad that Turkey may not be dead yet. I'm intrigued that the effective Spanish GP might be at Valencia, unless there's going to be an emergency switch to Aragon or something.

The Turkish Grand Prix is over...

[Purist]

Well, I think Bernie is going to have to take some lumps here in short order, and make some deals to keep a full, 20-race calendar.

If Singapore goes after 2012, that's 2-3 sanction fees (for any other event) gone right there. The Valencia promoters want an out (possibly switch the race to another track). Really though, Spain can't keep a second race for much longer, especially if Alonso doesn't deliver another title here soon. The Chinese promoter is also NOT happy about the losses because of the F1 sanction fee, and their contract is up next year, I think.

I haven't heard anything for a bit, but the last tidbit was that Sepang "needed" at least $60 million in "improvements" to keep the Malaysian GP beyond the current contract. I can't see India lasting all that long. I think Korea might have a bit more longevity, but I'm not sure how long it sticks around either.

If this house of cards begins to crumble here in the next 12-15 months though, I can't see too many new takers. Qatar will need expensive modifications, even if they are relatively minor, and who would want to go, even among the VIPs, when Abu Dhabi is such a flashy facility by comparison, and in the same region.

Truthfully, there are no current new, solid takers for GPs. After India, we have to wait to see if Austin gets finished in time, assuming it does get finished. And Russia has already failed twice to get an F1 circuit built, not to mention the planned DTM, Superleague Formula, and FIA GT events that have fallen through in the last few seasons.

Cutting deals with Turkey and China starts looking MUCH more likely given the direction things appear to be going. We're running out of new governments with the money to pay up Bernie in a hurry.

[strider]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

Surely that is just one of the sacrifices of being involved with F1.

I can't imagine that the person to whom you refer walked into the job with his/her eyes shut and was not expecting that type of lifestyle that goes along with the Job.

The answer to the first question is a qualified yes. Everyone knows it's not an easy life, but for those who work in F1 the attraction is the same as for the drivers - it's the peak of their profession, so when the opportunity arises to work for a top team it's grabbed with both hands. It's only later that the reality sets in. The best reward is when the car they have been slaving on does well, sometimes even wins. But if the driver plants it in the wall...

I'll give you an illustration in reply to the second comment. The trip to Monza is pretty straightforward, but the next time the boys go away it will be for four weeks. It's not too bad because there is a week gap somewhere in there and it's cheaper for the teams to keep them out there than it is to fly them home and then back out again.

But to get back to my original point, the double-headers are the killers because there's no respite, so the fact that there are more than ever next year is really bad.

[Carsandmotorracing]

So glad Turkey has been dropped, pretty good schedule.