MOTORSPORT: Australian Grand Prix earlier
Changes to the Formula 1 and V8 Supercar calendars and no date yet for Rally AustraliaThe Australian Grand Prix will be two weeks earlier next year than had been advertised. The move also will mean a change to the V8 Supercar Championship, with the Tasmanian round at Symmons Plains to be the weekend after Easter rather than the one before.
The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) last night approved a revised Formula 1 calendar with the Australian GP at Melbourne’s Albert Park on March 17-20 rather than the first weekend of April.
Rally Australia at Coffs Harbour is set to move to the end of the World Rally Championship season, despite the strong protestations of triple world champion Sebastien Ogier and his Volkswagen team -- although dates for the WRC events have not been confirmed.
WRC participants also are objecting to the proposed 14 rounds, which could see the revival of a Chinese event – still subject to WMSC approval.
The Tasmanian event has been on the V8 Supercar calendar for March 18-20 but will now be flipped with the GP. The weekend in between is Easter.
F1 cars will be noisier next year after the WMSC approved separate exhaust wastegate tailpipes to raise the decibels after gripes about the quietness of the V6 turbo hybrid power units introduced last year. The WMSC said the change “will not have any significant effect on power or emissions”.
However, the hybrid sports cars in the World Endurance Championship, including Le Mans, are to be limited to 1000hp (745kW) -- a move seen as curbing the new dominance of the Porsche 919s, one of which is driven by Australia’s Mark Webber.
Meanwhile, Symmons Plains will still be the second round of the V8 Supercar Championship after the opening Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 3-6.
The V8 Supercar races at the GP remain non-championship.
The new calendar with a record 21 rounds includes the first GP in Azerbaijan – a former Soviet republic – in June, clashing with the Le Mans 24-Hour sports car race in France.
The F1 ‘circus’ will go to Bahrain after Melbourne and then back to Shanghai in China.
Revised 2016 Formula 1 calendar
March 20 – Australia (Melbourne)
April 3 – Bahrain
April 17 – China (Shanghai)
May 1 – Russia (Sochi)
May 15 – Spain (Barcelona)
May 29 – Monaco
June 12 – Canada (Montreal)
June 19 – Azerbaijan (Baku)
July 3 – Austria (Speilberg)
July 10 – Britain (Silverstone)
July 24 – Hungary (Budapest)
July 31 – Germany (Hockenheim)
Aug 28 – Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
Sept 4 – Italy (Monza)
Sept 18 – Singapore
Oct 2 – Malaysia (Sepang)
Oct 9 – Japan (Suzuka)
Oct 23 – United States (Austin)
Nov 6 – Mexico
Nov 13 – Brazil (Sao Paulo)
Nov 27 – Abu Dhabi
2016 V8 Supercar calendar
March 3-6 – Clipsal 500 (Adelaide)
March 17-20 – Australian Grand Prix (Albert Park) – non-championship
April 1-3 – Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint (Symmons Plains)
April 15-17 –WD-40 SuperSprint (Phillip Island)
May 6-8 – Perth SuperSprint (Barbagallo)
May 20-22 – Winton SuperSprint (Winton)
June 17-19 – SkyCity Triple Crown (Darwin)
July 8-10 – Castrol Edge 400 (Townsville)
July 22-24 – Coates Hire SuperSprint (Ipswich)
August 12-14 – KL City Grand Prix (Malaysia)
August 26-28 – Sydney Motorsport Park SuperSprint (Eastern Creek)
September 16-18 – Wilson Security Sandown 500 (Melbourne)
October 6-9 – Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 (Mt Panorama)
October 21-23 – Castrol Gold Coast 600 (Surfers Paradise)
November 4-6 – ITM Auckland SuperSprint (New Zealand)
November 25-27 – Coates Hire Sydney 500 (Homebush)
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