Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Bahrain mooted as 2010 F1 season opener

August 28, 2009 10:07 IST

Bahrain could replace Australia as 2010 Formula One season-opener while Canada may also reappear on the calendar, BMW-Sauber boss Mario Theissen said on Thursday.

"Both scenarios are in discussion, but I haven't seen a finalised calendar," Theissen told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix when asked whether Bahrain or Australia featured first on a provisional calendar shown to teams by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Australia has hosted the season-opener since 1996, although Bahrain took the slot in 2006 when the Melbourne race was moved back to avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games in the same city.

Melbourne was a twilight race this year, to fit in better with European television audiences, and the possible later date on the calendar would coincide with the start of daylight saving time in Europe at the end of March.

Canada was dropped from the calendar this year after a contractual disagreement between Montreal organisers and Ecclestone.

Theissen, whose team won in Canada in 2008 but are now fighting for their survival after BMW announced they were pulling out at the end of the year, said he thought there is "an opportunity but not a contract" for the race's return.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.