FIA Would Prefer 16-Race Calendar

Formula One's governing body would like the calendar to shrink back to 16 races in the future, world motor sport head Max Mosley said on Monday.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) president said some European races, including some of the traditional ones, could face the axe to accommodate a reduced calendar.

"I think in the long term it's going to be difficult to maintain the smaller races and it's also going to be difficult to have two races in one country," he told reporters in London.

Mosley said the smaller races could be quantified in terms of the television coverage and importance to Formula One sponsors. Germany has two races, at the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, as does Italy at Monza and Imola.

However Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said at the weekend that 2004 would be Imola's last appearance on the calendar, with Turkey due to come in for 2005 and South Korea in 2009. Ecclestone was also quoted in the Gazzetta dello Sport as saying that he did not see a future for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone either.

Last year had 16 races but this year has a record 18, after France earned a late reprieve, and Ecclestone said the Championship could easily stretch to 20 races in the future if testing was reduced.

Mosley said the FIA would rather have fewer: "In the longer term we would prefer to see 16 races," he said. "I think what we will end up with is hardly any testing but not 20 races.

"It is questionable whether you need 20 Grands Prix."