The Austrian Grand Prix is set to return to the F1 program next year at the Red Bull Ring. Under its former name, the A1 Ring last hosted F1 races between 1997–2003.
This is all good news for European F1 fans who’ve become accustomed to losing races to frontier countries. But will it come at the expense of the troubled New Jersey GP?
The New York race was originally scheduled to debut on 16 June this year, but was postponed until 2014 due to construction delays. That was the official word anyway, although financial issues have also hampered the race’s progress.
Clearly the financial might of Red Bull will ensure no such dramas befall the Austrian race which has been penciled in for 6 July next year.
It’s likely to be a packed schedule in the middle of next year. The FIA has confirmed the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be held on the weekend of 14–15 June and has mandated that no F1 race can clash with the event. That leaves the British, Austrian, German and Hungarian Grands Prix to fit in after Le Mans and before the end of July.
Even if the New Jersey GP falls through, when you factor in the debut of the Russian Grand Prix we could still be looking at a 21 race bonanza in 2014.
[Source: James Allan on F1 | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]