- 06 Dec 12, 22:38#338663Ok, i'm sure this must have been posted cause the news is a day old now, but i can't see it...
The 2013 German Grand Prix has been moved forward one week to accommodate another European race, the FIA World Motor Sport Council confirmed today.
With a three-week gap resulting from the date change, the 21st July has now been reserved for a European-based event. The German event will now run on 7th July.
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Tuesday that he was working on plans to resurrect the Turkish Grand Prix.
The calendar was left with 19 races after it was announced the planned New Jersey Grand Prix would be postponed until 2014.
Alongside the calendar changes, the FIA announced a number of rule tweaks including the abolition of the qualifying 'force majeure' rule, as predicted by AUTOSPORT last month.
As revealed by AUTOSPORT, the F1 Technical Working Group also agreed to postpone to 2017 the requirement for all cars to be driven exclusively under electric power in the pitlane.
For next year, DRS use during practice will be permitted only in the race-specified zones, while the team personnel curfew will be extended from six to eight hours on Thursday night.
Only two exceptions - rather than the previous four - will be permitted across the season.
The FIA also confirmed a small increase in minimum weight to compensate for an increase in tyre weight, and the introduction of more stringent front wing deflection tests.
and:
Formula 1's bosses have tweaked next year's schedule to make space for an extra race, bringing the calendar back up to 20 grands prix.
This is expected to be a return of the Turkish Grand Prix which was dropped after 2011 for financial reasons.
Efforts have been made in recent days to agree a new deal in Istanbul.
The German Grand Prix has been moved to 7 July, freeing up its previous date of 21 July for what governing body the FIA says will be another "European event".
The FIA was not immediately available for comment.
Strictly speaking, the Turkish Grand Prix track is not in Europe - it is on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. But it is often referred to as a "European" race.
An FIA statement from the World Motorsport Council, which is meeting in the Turkish city this week, said the new race was "subject to approval by the relevant" national sporting authorities.
And there have been efforts in recent months to revive the French Grand Prix, which was last held in 2008, but it is thought that an agreement on that event is still some way off.
There has also been a report that the extra race could be at the Red Bull-owned A1-Ring in Austria, which last held a grand prix in 2003 but has been refurbished in recent years.
The addition of a 20th race means next year's calendar will contain as many grands prix as this year's record schedule.
Thoughts? I find it odd that Turkey would drop out citing financial troubles, only to somehow return even without government financial backing. My money is on Paul Ricard... and if this proved to be true, well, it's about time the French GP returns.
Rising number one of Formula 1, Juan - Juan, one wonders should Juan only win one Formula 1 one year, would Juan have won that one in round one, Juan??