• 2014 season

Whitmarsh doubts there will be 21 races in 2014

ESPN Staff
June 11, 2013 « FIA sets date for test row Tribunal | Wins the target as Button waves goodbye to title hopes »
Martin Whitmarsh: "It gets quite tough for the team" © Getty Images
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McLaren team principal and FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh is sceptical about the prospect of 21 races in 2014.

Russia and New Jersey are scheduled to join the calendar next year, which would bring the total number of races to 21 if all the current rounds remain in place.

"I don't know whether there really will be 21, but I've heard the stories of a variety of new venues, from Russia to talk of New Jersey again," he said. "Well they're both important territories, aren't they, but whether all the other dates on the calendar survive, I don't know. But 21 is a lot of races, that's for sure."

New Jersey was originally scheduled to run this year but its absence means there are just 19 races this season. Whitmarsh said F1 has to be careful not to bring too many new races onto the calendar for the sake of those working in the sport.

"We've had 19 this year and 20 last year, and I know it's only one more but we've been saying that since we had about 14 races and most of those were in Europe. It gets quite tough for the team."

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