F1 Unveils Radical 2019 Calendar

The Formula One Group have today announced a major shake-up to the Formula One calendar for the 2019 season. The calendar will be extended to twenty five rounds, with the Indy 500 returning as a round of the championship for the first time since 1960 and the season finale being held on the streets of New York in December.

DISCLAIMER: This article was, obviously, from April Fool’s Day. You can find the actual 2019 F1 calendar here: https://www.lightsoutblog.com/2019-f1-calendar/ 


Chase Carey, executive chairman of the Formula One Group, says he’s ‘delighted’ by the new calendar and says the changes have been part of Liberty Media’s ‘long term plan’ for the future of the sport:

I think it’s great that we’re finally able to bring the sport to the people who want to see it the most. America is a huge market for this global sport.”

Here’s the radical new 2019 Formula One calendar:

 
Race
Venue
Date
1
Fuzzy’s Phoenix Grand Prix
Phoenix Street Circuit
3rd March
2
Watkins Glen Grand Prix
Watkins Glen
10th March
3
Disney Grand Prix
Walt Disney World, Florida
24th March
4
California Grand Prix
Laguna Seca
1st April
5
Miami Grand Prix
Miami City Circuit
14th April
6
Wisconsin Grand Prix
Road America
28th April
7
Sonoma Grand Prix
Sonoma Raceway
12th May
8
The 2019 Indianapolis 500
Indy Oval
26th May
9
Canadian Grand Prix
Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve
9th June
10
KFC Utah Grand Prix
Utah Motorsports Campus
23rd June
11
Georgia Grand Prix
Road Atlanta
30th June
12
Florida Grand Prix
Sebring International Raceway
7th July
13
Oregon Grand Prix
Portland International Raceway
21st July
14
Caesars Las Vegas Grand Prix
Las Vegas City Circuit
28th July
15
Virginia Grand Prix
Virginia International Raceway
25th August
16
Toronto Grand Prix
Streets of Toronto
1st September
17
Pirelli Pennsylvania Grand Prix
Pocono Raceway
15th September
18
Texaco Texas Grand Prix
Texas World Speedway
29th September
19
ABC U.S. Grand Prix
Circuit of the Americas
6th October
20
Buttonwillow Grand Prix
Buttonwillow Raceway Park
20th October
21
Lay’s Long Beach Grand Prix
Long Beach Street Circuit
27th October
22
Nevada Grand Prix
Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch
3rd November
23
St. Petersburg Grand Prix
St. Petersburg Street Circuit
17th November
24
McDonalds Massachusetts Grand Prix
Boston Street Circuit
24th November
25
New York Grand Prix
New York City Circuit
1st December

The Phoenix Grand Prix, sponsored by the Vodka brand Fuzzy’s, will return as the season opener on the same circuit used at the first race of the F1 season in both 1990 and 1991, despite Chase Carey’s previous criticism of the track.

One of the highlights of the season is bound to be the Disney Grand Prix, which will celebrate Formula One’s 1000th Grand Prix event in style. The track is a temporary track, in a shape resembling the outline of Mickey Mouse’s head, around the ever-popular Disneyland resort in Florida.

The return of the Indy 500 to the Formula One calendar for the first time in almost sixty years is expected to be a major talking point. It also gives Fernando Alonso a chance of taking the Triple Crown next season. With revised aero packages for the oval race only, F1 cars will compete on track with Indy Cars, as the two types of machinery do battle on-track for the first time. Points for the Formula One championship will be awarded separately to the points for the IndyCar drivers, but drivers from both categories will undoubtedly want to take the honour of being the overall Indy 500 champion in 2019. F1 will also follow Indy Car’s lead by using the same road courses as the American racing series in Toronto, Long Beach and St Petersburg.

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As well as the Indy 500 returning, Formula One will also return to the Watkins Glen track for the first time since 1980. The track will hold the second race of the season.

Another unique feature of the calendar is the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will hold a double points race as the first half of the season reaches its climax. Chase Carey said of the race:

Las Vegas is heavily associated with gambling and our drivers will be playing all or nothing on the streets of Las Vegas in the double points round in 2019.”

It is hoped that the double points round will spice up the championship race ahead of the summer break.

The Circuit of the Americas and the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve are the only tracks which remain on the calendar from the 2018 season. The COTA track will keep its title of the ‘U.S. Grand Prix’ on the 6th October, as a race at the Texas Speedway a week before the event will be titled the ‘Texaco Texas Grand Prix’. Speaking about the new calendar, Sean Bratches, Managing Director, Commercial Operations at F1, said:

Italy, Monaco, Great Britain – they’re all old markets. America is the future. Formula One doesn’t necessarily need America, but America sure does need Formula One!”

There’ll also be three brand new street circuits, designed by Avril Abruti. In addition to races on new tracks on the streets of Miami and Boston, the curtain will close on the 2019 season with a night race in the spectacular setting of New York. Abruti has called Formula 1’s previous owners ‘fools’ for not visiting the city before:

NYC is the perfect place for a Formula One race. It encapsulates the glitz and glamour of the sport in a similar way to how Monaco has in past years. The previous owners have, quite simply, been fools for not coming to this magnificent city before now.”

Meanwhile, sporting director Ross Brawn has said that the sport is looking for innovation in the coming seasons, with plans for six wheel cars and high rear wings a priority. More race sponsors and details will be announced in due course.


What do you think to Formula One’s 2019 calendar? Let us know in the comments below!

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