Revised 2016 Formula One schedule

[cosworth151]

What sense does it make to give the teams one week to get all the way from Montreal to Baku, then two weeks to get from Baku to Spielberg? This is just Bernie's slap at Nico Hulkenberg for winning Le Mans last year.

I found out it was just a "gentlemen's agreement" that there would be no other F.i.A. race on Le Mans week-end. The obvious problem with that is that it depends on some shred of honor existing in the F.I.A. and F.O.M. Good luck with that.

"It's a clear attack on us and on this race," W.E.C. head Gerard Neveu said on the F1 clash with Le Mans. "Ecclestone never does anything nonchalantly."

Neveu suggested the "FIA should have protected us better." That is a reference to a gentleman's agreement between the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the Le Mans organizer and WEC promoter, and the FIA that the weekend of the 24 Hours would be left free on the F1 calendar. That agreement dates back to 2011, the year of the last clash between Le Mans and an F1 race, when the ACO was confirmed as the promoter of the re-born WEC for the following season. Neveu added it would be the fans and drivers who would lose out.

"It is a shame because by doing this you take away the possibility of having F1 stars entering what still is the most important race in the world," he said. "We could have had Hulkenberg and also other F1 drivers – motorsport fans are losing out."

I look for the Baku race to be either moved back a week or dropped altogether. After all, the Sporting Regs for 2016 say no more than 20 races. It was just Bernie making sure no F1 drivers could race at Le Mans.

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/122645-f1-le-mans-clash-an-attack-on-wec

[Alianora La Canta]

At this point, being listed guarantees nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if Baku suddenly failed to pay Bernie. Nor if Silverstone decided the budget was not bridgeable (they're already a year behind in payments).

There was an actual rule that no world-level event would be permitted to clash with Le Mans. Inevitably, the first time it was tested, the FIA caved in. Psuedopolitician's promises...

Abu Dhabi pays a premium for the slot at the end of the season, just as Australia pays a premium to be first.

[Irisado]

I'd be more than happy for the FIA to remove the race in Baku.  Permanently.