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Korea on 2015 calendar for legal reasons - Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone says the Korean Grand Prix was included on the 2015 calendar for legal reasons and admits its organisers do not want it to go ahead.
Korea was a surprise addition to the calendar when it was released earlier this month, albeit listed as "to be confirmed". The race had dropped off the calendar for the 2014 season and Ecclestone said the circuit's contract stipulated it needed to be listed for next year even if it does not go ahead.
"[The organisers] would rather it not happen," Ecclestone said. "We have a contract with Korea, we have to put it on the calendar. If we had not done they could have sued us. We let them off for a year on the understanding they would be back."
Ecclestone also played down the possibility of a future race taking place in Qatar - a host of a MotoGP round and set to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup - due to the vetoing power Bahrain has over new races in the region.
"It was an idea I thought would work. But I have got a bit of a problem which nobody knows about really but I am sure they soon will. I made a deal with the people in Bahrain [ahead of the inaugural race in 2004] and they said, 'If we are going to be something new in this area, which we are, will you give us a guarantee you won't put another race on in the area, in the Gulf?'. I said yes."
Ecclestone says this was a potential stumbling block for the inaugural Abu Dhabi race in 2009.
"I explained to [Abu Dhabi promoters] the position that I was in and said you had better ask the people in Bahrain if they are happy. If they are happy, I am happy. If not, we won't. So they got together and that is what happened. Then this other race in Qatar has been proposed now and I put the people together and said 'Can you sort this out between you?' and they have not managed to do it."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
