Schedule returns to original 20 races after Yeongnam event dropped
Wednesday 7 January 2015 09:09, UK
The Korean Grand Prix has officially been dropped from the calendar for the 2015 Formula 1 season, meaning a total of 20 races will be held.
The race was added to the schedule, at least on a provisional basis, last month but the proposed May 3 date is now clear according to the official calendar on the FIA website.
The event was not part of the 2014 calendar after being held for four years at the Korea International Circuit in Yeongnam - Sebastian Vettel won the last three races held there after Fernando Alonso's victory in the inaugural Korean GP.
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone admitted the race had to be put on the calendar for legal reasons even though he confirmed local organisers 'would rather it not happen'.
Last month, he said: "We have a contract with Korea... we have to put it on the calendar. If we hadn't they could have sued us. We let them off for a year on the understanding they would be back."
With no race now scheduled for Korea there is a three-week gap between the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 19 and the start of the European leg of the season in Spain on May 10.
The 20-race season will kick off on March 15 in Australia and finish on November 29 in Abu Dhabi with every race shown live on Sky Sports F1.
2015 RACE CALENDAR
March 15: Australian GP
March 29: Malaysia GP
April 12: Chinese GP
April 19: Bahrain GP
May 10: Spanish GP
May 24: Monaco GP
June 7: Canadian GP
June 21: Austrian GP
July 5: British GP
July 19: German GP
July 26: Hungarian GP
August 23: Belgian GP
September 6: Italian GP
September 20: Singapore GP
September 27: Japanese GP
October 11: Russian GP
October 25: U.S. GP
November 1: Mexican GP
November 15: Brazilian GP
November 29: Abu Dhabi GP
The Sky Sports F1 Online team will be providing live commentary of all three winter tests, starting in Jerez on Sunday February 1, with live updates from trackside also on Sky Sports News HQ.
