Ecclestone Denies Wanting to Axe Spa from F1 Calendar

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone denied having said that Spa-Francorchamps is on the verge of being axed from the F1 calendar in the years to come. Talking to Belgian television RTBF after the Korean Grand Prix, the man who practically runs the whole business inside the Great Circus said that the recent report which appeared in The Guardian newspaper is a result of “word twisting.”

“The Guardian twisted my words,” said Ecclestone, who admitted however that a few European races are looking at deal terminations in the years to come.

“I am sure that in the years to come, we will lose a few races in Europe. It is almost certain. Which ones? I have no idea. But from our side, we want to keep Spa. There are long discussions about the grand prix there, but if it does go, it will be because of the government, not me,” he added, hinting that he wants more government support from the Belgian authorities in the near future.

In recent days, there have been rumors about the potential axing of 3 races from the current F1 schedule: Silverstone, Spa and Istanbul. While we doubt Ecclestone is really considering getting rid of the British track in the near future, Spa and Istanbul remain in the rumor mill, especially since both races have registered increased money losses in the last few years.

Instead, Ecclestone plans to bring two important nations on the F1 map, namely the US and Russia. The series' boss has already inked deals with both tracks – Austin, Texas and Sochi, in Russia – with the first scheduled to make its debut in F1 in 2012, while the latter expected to come two years later.