APRIL 10, 1995
Teams against 17 Grands Prix
Some of the Formula 1 teams are not interested in taking part in 17 races this year - although the FIA has recently announced that the calendar has been extended.
McLaren's Ron Dennis says: "My understanding of the Concorde Agreement is that there are only 16 races in the World Championship and I am operating on that basis. Unless all the teams agree to 17 races there will only be 16."
Teams reckon that the decision to host another race will cost them millions of dollars if it goes ahead, although the figures will be reduced if the planned Pacific-Japanese GP double-header takes place. As the major freight bills will have had to be paid anyway, the only additional operating expenses is keeping the teams in Japan for one week. The larger teams will spend more money because enormous amounts of research & development go into each race to ensure the maximum possible performance.
Most people in the F1 paddock in Argentina believe that the Italian authorities at Monza will fail to do the necessary safety work at the Autodromo Nazionale and that the race will then be canceled.
Ron Dennis says that McLaren will consider increasing the number of events only if there is a major new market in which the team's sponsors are interested. America and China are the two obvious possibilities.