2004 schedule rumors

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BebiF1

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There will be two brand new state of the art race circuits added next year as Bahrain a small island in the persian gulf, and Shangai, China will be hosting two events for the F1 circus. Also announced today was the Prime Minister of Belgium has stated that F1 will return to Spa next year. For those of you that don't know why belgium was left off this year it all had to do with the country banning tobacco advertisment. Since F1 uses tobacco ads, they will not be able to race. The Belgian Goverment has made the 'Francorchamps law' which excluded F1 from the ban to allow them to race next year. Pretty cool.
Next on the list is that Indianapolis will slot in for June 20th rather than September 28th to allow the F1 guys to hit Canada and Indy while in the states.
With all of these races, something has to go correct? Yup. Turns out that the A1 Ring in Austria will be chopped of the calender. So in the end, F1 will be one race longer than normal.

A quick summary:
Belgium, Bahrain, and China are added for next year.
Indy switches to June 20 for their race.
A1 ring, Austira will not host a GP.
Quick and easy!

Note: None of this is exactly final. Things could change and the offical schedule has not been released yet. All tracks not mentioned above I assume are keeping their dates and races from this season.
 
I just found out today that the Canadian Grand Prix has been dropped.

SOURCE: crash.net

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST 2003

Expectations of a North American Formula One double-header next June have bitten the dust following the surprise announcement that Montreal's Canadian Grand Prix will not feature on the 2004 calendar.

The race, which first took place in 1967 at Mosport, was a semi-permanent fixture since its first appearance at the Ile de Notre Dame in the late 1970s, but has fallen foul of Canada's impending tobacco advertising ban - in much the same way as Belgium did this year - and will not occupy its usual slot after Monaco.

The decision was revealed in a press conference called last night by event chief executive Normand Legault, who confirmed that he had been informed of the cancellation in a letter from F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone.

"This letter says that Canada's grand prix won't show up on the Formula One world championship in 2004," Legault told members of the media, "This decision seems to be the consequence of the tobacco laws coming into full effect, and will have a negative impact on Montreal's tourism."

Legault went on to reveal that he had not been surprised by the decision, which had been the topic of conversation between himself and Ecclestone during last weekend's German Grand Prix. Short of the tobacco-backed teams opting to run unbranded - as they do at several races already - there was little hope of the race getting the go-ahead for 2004 and, with a precedent already set over this year's Spa-Francorchamps race, the axe finally fell.

Canada will join a growing number of countries introducing their own tobacco bans and, from 1 October 2003, will implement new legislation banning all forms of tobacco advertising, including sports sponsorship. The move has already been felt on the US racing scene, where the Canadian Player's brand has announced that it will cease to be a sponsor in CART.

"[The decision] was basically made in light of the October application of Canada and Quebec's anti-tobacco legislation," Legault explained, "Basically, what that means for next June's event is that Michael Schumacher's Ferrari could not sport Marlboro colours and Jacques Villeneuve's car could not have Lucky Strike on it. Based on that situation, Mr Ecclestone has the legal right to call an end to the contract."

Unlike Belgium, however, Legault insisted that he would not be lobbying the local and national government in order for his event to be given special dispensation to operate outside the new laws, as the situation had been apparent for the past seven years, ever since proposals for the ban were revealed. Although the implications of the ban were made apparent at the time, no special exemption was granted to the event.

"We stressed in 1997 that, even if we had other sponsors replacing tobacco sponsors [the Canadian GP was backed by Player's at the time], we would still run into trouble with team sponsors, and that issue has been very much on our minds since the bill was passed," Legault confirmed.

"However, we have made no [further] representations to either the Canadian or provincial government for that matter, and we don't intend to. We feel [that Formula One] has already benefited from a seven-year grace period for promoting tobacco products, and I don't feel [it is] justified for us to ask the government to do more than that."

The Canadian round last dropped off the calendar after another sponsorship row in the mid-80s, but returned just a year later to become a regular fixture on the schedule.

The USGP had been moved from its regular September slot to fill a similar summer role in 2004, creating expectation of back-to-back trans-Atlantic races, but that possibility will now have to wait until at least a time when tobacco sponsorship in F1 is a thing of the past.

ENDS:/

Intresting reading, if not a little sad. I always liked the Canadian GP and its a shame to see it go, but maybe it will return in a few years time.
 
Ah but now the plot thickens! Apprantly Bernie Eccelstone is now saying the Canadian GP isnt off of the calender!

SOURCE: Crash.net

Formula One ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone has denied that the Canadian Grand Prix has been axed from the 2004 calendar, despite assertions to the contrary from the event's CEO at a hastily-convened press conference last night.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Ecclestone said that he could not understand why Normand Legault announced that next year's event had fallen foul of Canadian tobacco legislation due for introduction in October, as the 2004 calendar had yet to be published. Legault, last night claimed that the competing teams had refused to race without tobacco branding, and said that he had had a letter from Ecclestone confirming that the race would not take place.

"I've no idea where this story came from," Ecclestone said, "The calendar for 2004 has not been put out yet - or even considered. I don't know what's in my head at the moment I'm so busy, but the calendar for 2004 is definitely not out yet."

The FIA has revealed which dates it has set aside for next year's F1 schedule but, true to Ecclestone's word, no races have been assigned to those slots. Only the American GP - which was thought to be moving to June to link up with Canada - and Belgium - which local politicians have confirmed is back on the calendar - appear to have been set in stone for 2004.

ENDS:/

This is intresting stuff, will the Canadian GP be on the 2004 calender or wont it? I personally hope, and think that it will be. Now that F1 is streching its fan base to China and Bolgaria we need to keep established fan bases in the USA and Canada, not isolate them..
 
Yes, I found this out today. Apparantly the GP is on the table to chopped, but the only way around one of the most popular GP's of the year getting dropped is for tobacco teams to run alternate schemes. Canada as a country said it has no intentions to exempt F1 from the laws as Belgium has done.
 
Interesting! I hope that the Canada race is held! The main reason why the USGP was moved up was o that the USGP and the Canadian GP could split the cost of flyuign the cars over tp the race tracks! FI they woudl split the cost it would be $2.5 million each for them to do that. If the CGP is gone then it would cost $5 million for Tony George to fly the cars over again. IMS does nto make much if any money off the USGP weekend so i bet Tony is trying his best to make sure the CGP is on the schedual next year!
 
Well I am sure a part of that huge ticket price goes to the track to help them ship those cars. Notice events such as Nascar and IRL have smaller ticket prices because of the inexpensive hauler method.

As for Canada. It is one of the most popular events on the calander next to Monaco, and I wish to see it stay. Bernie is doing everything he can to persuade the Canadian Gov. to exempt F1 from the laws. I think although it may not be on the calendar next year, I would almost promise a return in 2005.
 
A quick summary:
Belgium, Bahrain, and China are added for next year.
Indy switches to June 20 for their race.
A1 ring, Austira will not host a GP.
Quick and easy!
Click to expand...
Those sound like great inclusions, although I have always liked the A1 Ring, but something has to give or the season will never end!

As long as I never lose the Australian GP I love watching F1 at new tracks and I say bring it on! :)

Bebi do you have any idea of when they will finalize everything and release the dates?
 
I would guess the schedule should be finalized here pretty soon or at least before the end of the season. I believe not much is exactly changing. Belgium returns to its slot, and I think they are adding Bahrain to the beginning of the year or China, and the other will take the Canadian or Austrian date and push the schedule back together. I am anxious to see the schedule.

As for our new tracks, the Shangai circuit, it looks very challanging, and a Renualt circuit!!! The Bahrain circuit, if the map I saw was correct, looks like the old Mosport track(in canada) and is basically a flabby O. Looks like it has many fast corners, but it also had several different layouts, so who knows, right?
 
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