Malaysian GP Dropped From Calendar

MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX DROPPED FROM F1 CALENDAR

    The Malaysian Grand Prix won’t feature on the Formula One calendar next season for the first time since 1998.

    Organisers have decided to end the deal with F1 management early, after government ministers announced they wouldn’t fund an extension to the original deal.

    “It’s always sad to say goodbye to a member of the Formula One family,” F1’s commercial operations managing director Sean Bratches said in a statement. “Over nearly two decades, the Malaysian Formula 1 fans have proven themselves to be some of the sport’s most passionate supporters.”

    “As we said in Melbourne, we have big plans for bringing our global fan base closer to the sport than ever before, providing an enhanced digital experience and creating new events. We’re looking forward to talking more about these plans as the season progresses.”

    Organisers decided to leave the deal, which was supposed to last until the end of 2018, due to low ticket sales and high costs.

    This may have a significant impact on Mercedes. The team’s technical partner and title sponsor Petronas have sponsored the Malaysia GP since 1999. The lack of F1 in the company’s home country could see Petronas take a step away from F1.

    The GP will be replaced by the returning French and German GPs.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Calendar Changes For 2016 F1 Season

Australian Grand Prix organisers have announced that the Australian race will be on April 3rd in 2016. This starting date will actually make it the latest starting date for a Formula 1 season since 1988.

Seems as the Australian race is the only one from the next season that has been announced, some  people have been asking whether Australia will be where the season kicks off. As more people have been wondering this the race organisers have put all queries to rest as they confirmed that Australia will still be holding the first race of the season. With this in mind, we have to consider what this will mean for the rest of the season and the schedule.

The chief executive of the Australian Grand Prix has stated that he believes the season will be more condensed. This means there will be more events over a shorter period of time. There are currently known to be 20 events on the calendar next year. We should definitely expect to have more back-to-back race weekends. The races that take part on consecutive weekends will be geographical grouped.

The result of this alteration seems mostly positive as the cost will decrease. In addition to this, it is hoped that the change in calendar structure will make it easier for fans and viewers at home to keep track of race weekends. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. For now, let's just enjoy the rest of this season!

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Article Written By: Frances Fry
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