Future of Formula 1 - Where to Next?

Formula 1 has never had it better as a sport with growing and glowing TV ratings worldwide. Never in its history has it had such a following from fans and the media from all corners of the globe.

And never has a Formula 1 season has been so prolific and long as the 2012 season - with a record 20 seasons, 2012 will be the longest F1 season yet.

But given how many countries and places are bidding to host a GP, could there be more F1 races in the future?

Yes, Jean Todt, FIA president, has said that 20 races is probably the most teams can take part in but then again a couple of years ago, Max Mosley said that 18 was the most.

To be honest, I can actually see them going as far as 25 especially if it means that the Formula 1 World Championship will go to places like South Africa, Russia, Argentina, Mexico, thereby becoming a truly global world championship.

Furthermore, with the FIA now trying to enforce rules on teams that will cut costs, i.e. less testing, shorter race weekends, etc., this could enable F1 teams to be able to go to more places.

As it stands, the 2014 F1 season could be the longest in history judging by this potential schedule:

The soon to be finished Austin F1 track

March - Australia, Malaysia, South Africa
April - China, Bahrain
May - Spain, Monaco
June - Canada, New Jersey, France
July - Britain, Germany, Hungary, Russia
August - Summer break
September - Belgium, Italy, Singapore
October - India, Korea, Japan
November - Brazil, Austin, Abu Dhabi

*Russia will host a GP on the streets of 2014 Olympic host city, Sochi from 2014.
*South Africa is rumoured to be hosting a GP on the streets of Cape Town around Green Point stadium and could host a race as early as 2014.
*New Jersey will join the F1 circuit from 2013.
*The French GP could be back in 2014 after a brief hiatus, returning to the wonderful Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France.  

Spa could potentially be lost to F1 in demand for races from Asia

As we all know, F1 started originally in Europe and remains firmly rooted there, even if the number of races in Europe has slowly diminished. The days where countries like Italy, Germany, Spain and even England could host more than one grand prix annually, rebadged as the San Marino, European, Luxembourg GP are about to go with Barcelona and Valencia now likely to share the Spanish GP just like Hockenheim and the Nurburgring share the German GP.

Yeongnam, Korea

In fact, Asia and Europe will eventually share the same number of grand prix per season - the money for F1 is clearly in Asia, with governments there seeing the massive dollar signs and potential publicity as a result of having a global sport like F1 in their country for just that one weekend and more willing than most local Western European governments to pay the exorbitant fee that Bernie Ecclestone demands - that's the reason why we're not going to the wonderful Istanbul circuit in 2012 by the way.

Potential background for New Jersey GP?

And then there's the USA, still easily the world's largest consumer market and will be for a while yet. F1 has always struggled to gain a firm footing and respectability in the States due to the politics there and competition with NASCAR and Indycars but now could be the time for F1 to truly shine with the Americans slowly embracing the world's other delights - the Premier League for example has become quite popular in the USA with the likes of Man United and Liverpool set to tour there in the summer. In 2014 we will see two races in the USA with one in New Jersey around the same time as the ever popular Canadian Grand Prix and one in November in Austin in the middle of football season - I have a feeling the Texas GP could be quite popular.

Finally, there's Brazil, a place F1 will certainly not desert given the huge contribution the country has made to the sport with Senna, Fittipaldi, Piquet, Barrichello, Massa, etc. and a country where there is a healthy synergy between fans and teams. Furthermore, Brazil is slowly becoming one of the most important economies in the world and whether they're still racing at the charming Interlagos circuit or not, F1 will still be in Brazil.

But there could be further expansion into Latin America with Mexico and Argentina also talking up their chances of hosting a GP. Mexico's chances could be aided by the rise and rise of young Sergio Perez especially if he gets behind the wheel of a Ferrari. The only problem is the crime in Mexico but the same could be said about Brazil.

So F1 is on the rise and clearly a sport in demand worldwide. The trouble is is there enough of the drivers, teams to go around? And when is enough enough? Unfortunately we won't really know. At this stage I'd say 25 F1 races could be a reality much earlier than you think.

BBC or Sky: The War for F1's English Language Coverage

BBC's F1 team - Jordan, Humphrey and DC

Martin Brundle and Sky Sports' F1 team

Ben Edwards: lots of CART, BTCC experience

Most English-speaking Formula 1 followers outside the UK would have noticed quite a change in the commentary in the first two races of the season. Last season, you would have listened to the dulcet tones of Martin Brundle and David Coulthard as most networks including Sky NZ and Australia's Ten/One Network took the BBC's award-winning F1 coverage.

This season you can still hear both of them but albeit not together. That's because Martin Brundle, who has succeeded Murray Walker as Britain's voice in Formula 1 has gone to BSkyB leaving behind his former protege, David Coulthard at Broadcasting House.

David Coulthard is now courting the in my opinion, highly rated, Ben Edwards, who is now the main commentator at the BBC while the BBC's new face of sport, Jake Humphrey and Eddie Jordan do all the soft studio work. And yes the husky but excellent Scot, Lee McKenzie is still there. And if you can't get to a tele, there's the dulcet tones of James Allen and Jaime Alguersuari to listen to.

Dulcet? Maybe not based on this:

Meanwhile away from the impoverished British public sector, Martin Brundle, Ted Kravitz and David Croft have left the BBC to take charge of BSkyB's swanky and in-your-face F1 coverage. Croft and Brundle are your voices in the commentary box while Ted Kravitz is down in the pitlane with Natalie Pinkham. Anthony Davidson will provide expert opinion, something he last did at ITV. 

Now, just a reminder of why this has happened. Since heaps of Brits are out of work, David Cameron has capped the licensing fee for a couple of years meaning that the BBC is broke. Hence, why Bernie Ecclestone has decided to give part of the broadcasting rights to Rupert Murdoch's cash-rich British arm, BSkyB.  

It's been happening for years by the way. F1 in Germany is now on Sky Deutschland and in New Zealand, Sky took over from TVNZ in 2006 - and I must say that was the best move ever as TVNZ never even did qualifying while Sky has shown every session since 2010. Only Australia still has F1 on free-to-air although the television scene there is a bit more like America's with the likes of 7, Nine and Ten being pretty rich and far more powerful than the ABC.

Anyway, the BBC and Sky split has appeared to become a talking point amongst British F1 fans and even those overseas who listen to the English language feed - to be honest, these two are better than the dreadful Steve Slater who fronts the ESPN Star Sports F1 coverage in Asia. 

Sky New Zealand appears to have got the BBC feed for the year which to be honest is still par excellence. Call me biased about the BBC, but the world's most beloved public broadcaster is still numero uno at broadcasting top quality sport, especially F1 and the Edwards/Coulthard duo is actually quite entertaining. 

Mind you I would like to sit through an F1 race with Croft/Brundle to find out what the fuss is about.

Before we start writing off Sky, remember how they started off with the First Division/Premier League. Look where they are now. Furthermore, they have all the money to burn unlike BBC so could be the sole broadcaster of F1 in the near future.

Anyway, feel free to comment on who you prefer, BBC or Sky below. I'll leave you with some clips of intros of past F1 coverage just to get you nostalgic.

 

2012 Formula One Season Preview

After all the hype around the platypus noses and monotony of winter testing, the 2012 F1 season finally gets underway this weekend in sunny Melbourne.

The big question on everyone's lips is can Sebastian Vettel be caught or are we on course for the sort of domination we saw with Michael Schumacher and Ferrari between 2001 and 2004 which to be honest, wreck the TV ratings of the sport.

Mind you, most of the races in the 2011 season were a lot more watchable than those in 2001 and 2004 - despite Sebastian Vettel's dominance, Red Bull only had 3 1-2 finishes compared to 8 for Ferrari in the 2004 season, 9 in the 2002 season.

It was down to the fact that Red Bull certainly had the better car but by not much from McLaren and Ferrari, and that Vettel was in the form of his life while Webber certainly wasn't.

However, there has been a major rule change which may affect Red Bull's dominance and given how close the teams are nowadays due to the cost restrictions, etc., there is a good chance that the energy drink team's dominance may be finally challenged this season.

While winter testing results should usually be neglected, one consistent factor has been Kimi Raikkonen's pace in the Lotus. Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion with Ferrari, is back in F1 of course after a spell in NASCAR, rallying and cameos with the Dudesons, and is looking hungrier than ever before.

Raikkonen of course, is one of 6 world champions who will be taking the grid this season: the other 5 are Alonso (2005, 06), Hamilton (2008), Button (2009), Vettel (2010/11) and Michael Schumacher (1994,95,2000-04). It is the most number of world champions to feature on the F1 grid this season in history - 1970, 2010 and 2011 had 5, the most in the history of the sport until this year.

So can Raikkonen really challenge for the title like Button, Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton or will he be happy to just take the wheel of the car in the midfield like Schumi has in the last 2 seasons? Could the mercurial and party-loving Finn be the surprise of the season? You know what, he might very well be.

But if you're looking for a safer non Red Bull tip for the title, look no further than the McLaren team. Question is, has Button really got the edge over Hamilton or will Hamilton turn the ship around this season after being the crash queen of 2011? The noises coming from Woking are actually quite positive after a decent winter testing campaign - last season, McLaren had no miles and were pretty much playing catch-up to Red Bull all season.

Meanwhile, Ferrari appear to be struggling to catch up and Alonso's chances of winning his third title appear slim. It looks set to be a season of mediocrity for the Rossoneri with Massa likely to race his last after failing to recover the form which could have seen him win the championship but for Timo Glock at the last corner of the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix. With rookies aplenty in the field - and even a current world champion - Massa badly needs a decent season if he wants a drive next season - but that might not even be enough in his 6th year at the Scuderia.

Mercedes also look to be in the running and perhaps this could be the season Michael Schumacher finally proves the doubters wrong and gets on the podium - I don't think he will, and this could be the last year of what has been quite an average comeback. It's almost as if Michael Schumacher has adopted the same attitude Shane Warne and Matthew Hayden have towards the Indian Premier League - big paycheck and a chance to play cricket even if they're not quite at the peak of their powers.

Other tips from the midfield? Watch for Daniel Riccardo in the Toro Rosso and Niko Hulkenberg in the Force India, both very promising drivers while Paul di Resta might face second season syndrome. Bruno Senna in the Williams could be a wildcard if Williams have a better car than last.

And Caterham could finally take their first ever points this season - they have been impressive in their development and unlike the new Marussia and Virgin teams seem to be going in the right direction.

Of course, besides the teams and drivers, there are the circuits. Sadly, the wonderful Istanbul circuit will not be visited this season but there is a new track to look forward to if the Americans - who can usually get things done - finish it on time.

Yes, the United States Grand Prix is back and this time it's taking on a road course - as they like to call it there - in Austin purpose built for F1. F1 will make its much awaited return in November in the middle of football season but one reckons there should be a big turnout for America's homecoming party.

So my tips? Gonna go for a long shot and say Lewis Hamilton and McLaren for the title. I think after the shocker he had last season, he's due for a statement season to remind everyone of his talent and this could be the titanic battle we've all been waiting for between the former and current world champions. 

F1 teams and drivers for 2012 -

Team	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Tyre	No.	Race Drivers	Test/Reserve Driver(s)
Red Bull Racing	Red Bull	RB8[8]	Renault RS27-2012	P	1	Sebastian Vettel[9]	Sébastien Buemi[10]
					2	Mark Webber[11]
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes	McLaren	MP4-27[12]	Mercedes FO 108Z	P	3	Jenson Button[13]	Gary Paffett[14] Oliver Turvey[15]
					4	Lewis Hamilton[16]
Scuderia Ferrari[17]	Ferrari	F2012[18]	Ferrari 056	P	5	Fernando Alonso[19]	Giancarlo Fisichella[20] Marc Gené[20] Davide Rigon[21]
					6	Felipe Massa[22]
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team[23]	Mercedes	F1 W03[24]	Mercedes FO 108Z	P	7	Michael Schumacher[25]	TBA
					8	Nico Rosberg[26]
Lotus F1 Team[6]	Lotus	E20[27]	Renault RS27-2012	P	9	Kimi Räikkönen[28]	Jérôme d'Ambrosio[29]
					10	Romain Grosjean[30]
Sahara Force India F1 Team[31]	Force India	VJM05[32]	Mercedes FO 108Z	P	11	Paul di Resta[33]	Jules Bianchi[34]
					12	Nico Hülkenberg[33]
Sauber F1 Team	Sauber	C31[35]	Ferrari 056	P	14	Kamui Kobayashi[36]	Esteban Gutiérrez[36]
					15	Sergio Pérez[36]
Scuderia Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso	STR7[37]	Ferrari 056	P	16	Daniel Ricciardo[38]	Sébastien Buemi[39]
					17	Jean-Éric Vergne[38]
Williams F1 Team[40][41]	Williams	FW34[42]	Renault RS27-2012[43]	P	18	Pastor Maldonado[44]	Valtteri Bottas[44]
					19	Bruno Senna[45]
Caterham F1 Team[46][47]	Caterham	CT01[48]	Renault RS27-2012	P	20	Heikki Kovalainen[49]	Giedo van der Garde[50] Alexander Rossi[51]
					21	Vitaly Petrov[7]
HRT F1 Team	HRT	F112[52]	Cosworth CA2012[53]	P	22	Pedro de la Rosa[54][55]	Dani Clos[56] Vitantonio Liuzzi[57]
					23	Narain Karthikeyan[58][55]
Marussia F1 Team[6][59]	Marussia	MR01[60]	Cosworth CA2012	P	24	Timo Glock[61]	María de Villota[62]

2012 F1 calendar -

Round	Race Title	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date	Time[94]
					Local	UTC
1	Qantas Australian Grand Prix[95]	Australian GP	Albert Park, Melbourne	18 March	17:00	06:00
2	Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix	Malaysian GP	Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur	25 March	16:00	08:00
3	UBS Chinese Grand Prix	Chinese GP	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai	15 April	15:00	07:00
4	Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain GP	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	22 April	15:00	12:00
5	Gran Premio de España Santander	Spanish GP	Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona	13 May	14:00	12:00
6	Grand Prix de Monaco	Monaco GP	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	27 May	14:00	12:00
7	Grand Prix du Canada	Canadian GP	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal	10 June	14:00	18:00
8	Grand Prix of Europe	European GP	Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia	24 June	14:00	12:00
9	Santander British Grand Prix	British GP	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	8 July	13:00	12:00
10	Großer Preis Santander von Deutschland	German GP	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	22 July	14:00	12:00
11	Eni Magyar Nagydíj	Hungarian GP	Hungaroring, Budapest	29 July	14:00	12:00
12	Shell Belgian Grand Prix	Belgian GP	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa	2 September	14:00	12:00
13	Gran Premio Santander d'Italia	Italian GP	Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza	9 September	14:00	12:00
14	SingTel Singapore Grand Prix	Singapore GP	Marina Bay Street Circuit, Marina Bay	23 September	20:00	12:00
15	Japanese Grand Prix	Japanese GP	Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka	7 October	15:00	06:00
16	Korean Grand Prix	Korean GP	Korean International Circuit, Yeongam	14 October	15:00	06:00
17	Airtel Indian Grand Prix	Indian GP	Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida	28 October	15:00	09:30
18	Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Abu Dhabi GP	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi	4 November	17:00	13:00
19	United States Grand Prix	United States GP	Circuit of the Americas, Austin	18 November	13:00	19:00
20	Grande Prêmio do Brasil	Brazilian GP	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	25 November	14:00	16:00

(courtesy of Wikipedia)