Formula 1 "is in danger of losing three of its most famous tracks" as the sport’s traditional heartland "loses ground to the multimillion-pound muscle of countries demanding to stage grands prix," according to Kevin Eason of the LONDON TIMES. Just days after the European Grand Prix took place in Azerbaijan for the first time, F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone warned that Canada, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and Germany "are all liable to be missing from the calendar next year unless urgent deals are completed soon." Speculation that the record 21-date calendar of this year could go up to 22 next season "was firmly scotched by Ecclestone," who said, "It is more likely to be 18 races next year." That would be the lowest number since '09 and "a significant sign that European venues and those funded by private corporations are struggling to keep up with the big spenders," backed mainly by ambitious governments, in other parts of the world. Azerbaijan is thought to have paid Ecclestone’s F1 business as much as £28M ($41.5M) for the rights to stage Sunday’s race. The attrition rate among circuits new and old "has been high with one disappearing every two years on average." Attempts to stage grands prix in new markets such as India and Korea "have failed spectacularly" while more traditional venues, such as France, have also gone (LONDON TIMES, 6/23).
