F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone "is to be presented with a fresh blueprint for Formula One" that would revolutionize the sport’s scheduling, according to Paul Weaver of the London GUARDIAN.
The new format "would see three seasons within a season, with a separate series of races in Europe, the Americas and Australasia, with two meaningful breaks." The idea comes from Pirelli Motor Sport Dir Paul Hembery, who "enjoys a close working relationship with Ecclestone." It "follows last week’s meeting of the FIA World Council, the sport’s most important legislative body."
Hembery’s plan would help rationalize "some of the current complicated travel arrangements between continents." But its main aim "is to strengthen support" for F1 in the U.S.
Hembery said, "I will be talking to Bernie shortly about this. I haven’t worked out the logistical problems. It’s up to the teams to do that. But this is all about getting more interest in Formula One, and particularly in the Americas. The market people all say the same thing, which is that the biggest problem in F1 is with the timings. They are all for Europe, which means in America they have to get up ridiculously early to watch the racing." Hembery said that "something must be done." He said, "There are so many barbed comments about F1 being boring. And if we’re not careful we’re going to talk ourselves into a sport which nobody wants to watch. We are in danger of creating our own downfall" (GUARDIAN, 12/10).
