F1 reserves 2013 date for another European race

A new date on F1’s 2013 calendar has been reserved for “another European” grand prix, the FIA revealed after its Istanbul meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday.

With the twentieth race date to be substituted in the wake of New Jersey’s demise, the host of the replacement event is not yet known, but F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone had travelled to the meeting promising to try to revive the Turkish grand prix.

But France has also been pushing to return to the sport’s annual schedule, while Helmut Marko and Sebastian Vettel this week flagged the possibility of an Austrian grand prix held at the former A1-Ring, now known as the Red Bull Ring.

The mystery race will be held on July 21, with Germany’s date shifted to 7 July.

It is still unclear whether next year’s German grand prix will be held as originally scheduled at the financially-embattled Nurburgring, or at Hockenheim.

According to RTL, Nurburgring spokesman Karl-Heinz Steinkuhler said Ecclestone had left open a “small window” for the talks over the 2013 race.

© RIF | GMM