The Y2K-Compatible Grand Prix
	by Ewan Tytler, U.S.A

The FIA's World Motorsport Council met on June 23rd in Paris and have decided on a provisional calendar for next year's Formula One World Championship season. The 2000 season calendar is set currently as follows: 20/02 - GP of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) 05/03 - GP of Australia (Melbourne) 19/03 - GP of Brazil (Sao Paulo) 09/04 - GP of San Marino (Imola) 23/04 - GP of Spain (Barcelona) 07/05 - GP of France (Magny Cours) 21/05 - GP of Europe (Nurburgring) 04/06 - GP of Monaco (Monaco) 18/06 - GP of Canada (Montreal) 02/07 - GP of Great Britain (Silverstone) 16/07 - GP of Austria (Spielberg) 30/07 - GP of Germany (Hockenheim) 13/08 - GP of Hungary (Budapest) 27/08 - GP of Belgium (Spa Francorchamps) 10/09 - GP of Italy (Monza) 24/09 - GP of The United States (Indianapolis) 08/10 - GP of Japan (Suzuka) Next season will be a milestone for Grand Prix racing as it will be the 51st season of Formula One racing in the modern era. Formula One is historically a European racing formula and perhaps the Formula One Administration Ltd. (FOA) needs to remind itself of that tradition, especially since FOA chief Bernie Ecclestone went so far as to say that "Britain has no 'God-given right' to stage a Grand Prix." The first Formula One season, in 1950, consisted of six European Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. Five of the seven circuits used in the first season are also included in the 51st season: Silverstone, Monaco, Indianapolis, Spa-Francorchamps and Monza. 2000 is also a transition year for Formula One, since many of the contracts for holding Grands Prix expire in 2001 and 2002, but this provisional calendar is the shape of things to come. Bernie Ecclestone is looking to Asia as the future for Formula One. Since 1996, the Formula One season has started and finished in the Pacific. Significantly, the 2000 season will start and finish in Asia since Formula One newcomer Malaysia has been given preference to Australia as the season opener. This is clearly a snub to the Australian Grand Prix organisers, who have given a great deal to Formula One over the past fifteen years. The 2000 season itself is well set out with mostly 2 weeks gaps between races which should keep the momentum going better than in the past two seasons when long gaps occurred at either the beginning or the end of the season. Next winter's off-season will be a short one, teams and drivers will have only 16 weeks to prepare for the new season. The off-season was shortened to 18 weeks this winter from 19 weeks between the 1997 and 1998 seasons. This short off-season could explain FIA President Max Mosley's comments that technical rule changes cannot be made for the 2000 season. The off-season after the 2000 season should return to a more reasonable 19 weeks. The 2000 season will have seventeen Grands Prix, an increase of one from the past two seasons although there were seventeen Grand Prix before, in the 1977, 1995 and 1997 seasons. Seventeen is probably the maximum number of races that can be held in one season despite suggestions by Max Mosley that up to twenty Grands Prix could be squeezed into a season. CART currently has 20 races over a similar period which requires races on every weekend during July and August. None of the 1999 race hosts have fallen from grace and Indianapolis has been added to the calendar. Some of the Grands Prix have been shuffled around especially in the first half of the season. San Marino, Spain, France and Europe are earlier, while Monaco has moved forward into June. The Monaco and Nurburgring events may experience better weather than they have in the past. The British Grand Prix has been moved back a week which will clash with the Wimbledon Tennis Finals. Perhaps the most significant news is the return of the US Grand Prix. Jackie Stewart summed it up in a press conference at Indianapolis, "The fact that there's going to be a United States Grand Prix in the year 2000 is a very big step forward for Formula One Grand Prix racing. I've felt that there's been an immense void in our part of motor sport in that there has not been for several years a Grand Prix in the United States. It's particularly important now as a F1 constructor to recognise that the United States of America is still the capital of the business world. There is not, I don't think, a single team that has financial support through sponsors or partners that are not in some way fully aware that the USA is still the most commercially centred country in the world. Most of the multinational corporations that we have in F1 are either headquartered here or have this as their largest market. So we really have to have a Grand Prix in the USA." Indianapolis Motor Speedway President, Tony George predicted, "I think (a crowd of) 200,000 is achievable, if it was wildly successful and we had demand for 300,000, then we would have to deal with that. It will be interesting to see what the response is when we begin our ticket sales efforts." September weather in Indianapolis is usually pleasant and Indiana can look spectacular with the trees changing colours. An interesting issue is who did not make it to the list. The countries include Argentina, China, Holland, Portugal and South Africa. Portugal fell from grace in 1997 due to safety concerns about the Estoril circuit while the Argentinean Grand Prix's organisers ran into financial difficulties in 1998. Neither countries have been able to return to Mr. Ecclestone's and Mr. Mosley's grace. Waiting in the Wings: Zandvoort The historic and spectacular seaside circuit of Zandvoort in Holland has recently qualified for a T1-license, which allows it to hold Formula One test sessions. Zandvoort hosted the Dutch Grand Prix from 1952 until 1985. Atlas F1's correspondent in the Netherlands, Marcel Schot, reports that the following changes need to be made to Zandvoort for it to qualify for a Grade 1 Circuit License, which would allow it to hold a Formula One event: the gravel trap at the long sweeping Bos Uit corner needs to be modified, which will have to wait until the Rob Slotemaker Slipschool is moved to a new location. a guardrail in Nissan corner has to be moved. the kerb stones in the Gerlach corner need to be modified another tyre-wall has to be placed in the famous Tarzan corner, a hairpin that provides one of the best overtaking spots in all the Formula One circuits. Zandvoort Owner Hans Erst commented that, "A part of the desired changes have already been planned by us and they will be carried out during the month of July. For us it's an important step forward towards a Formula One race-license." Kyalami The revised circuit of Kyalami in South Africa hosted the season-opening Grand Prix in 1992 and 1993 and held a five-day test session this year for Williams and BAR that attracted 70,000 South African Formula One fans. Atlas F1's correspondent in South Africa, Michele Lupini, reported that Kyalami plans to host a Formula One test session in 2000 at about the same time (mid February) as it did this year. Since Kyalami, like Interlagos, is at high-altitude and is run in an anti-clockwise direction, this testing session should provide useful information in preparations for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Perhaps next year more teams will take advantage of this opportunity. Kyalami's owners are confident of a Formula One Grand Prix in 2001 which could be good news for the thousands of Formula One fans in South Africa. With these counties, and possibly China and Russia, waiting in the wings, the question will be which events will be dropped to make room for them in 2001 and 2002? We must also ask the question - how much longer can the FOA justify holding two Grands Prix per year in both Germany and Italy? I would hate to be the one to suggest choosing between Imola and Monza or Hockenheim and the Nurburging but that day may come soon.

Ewan Tytler	© 1999 Kaizar.Com, Incorporated.
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