Teams to ask for calendar changes

Teams are concerned about logisitcal problems caused by the fact that the Monaco and Turkish grands prix will run back-to-back on May 23 and May 30, with the Canadian Grand Prix just two weeks later.

Members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) met in Singapore on Sunday afternoon to discuss the matter, and the outfits have all agreed that something needs to be done by the sport's organisers.

FOTA vice-chairman John Howett told AUTOSPORT: "We want to write to the federation and to the commercial rights holder to say that we're really happy to race in Turkey, but that there are some changes in terms of the logistics.

"[We will] ask to review that to minimise our cost burden and simplify the logistics, particularly with Canada so close after Turkey."

Howett added that FOTA also has question marks over the Korean Grand Prix, which has been scheduled for next October.

"We want to clarify the actual economic benefit of Korea based on it being the 19th race," said Howett.

FOTA also discussed the agreement not to run KERS next season following Williams technical director Sam Michael saying earlier in the week that the team was still considering it.

As the KERS "ban" will be by agreement, provision for running it remains in the 2010 regulations, and Williams was suspended from FOTA when the agreement was originally reached.

"We agreed to uphold our previous decision not to race KERS in 2010 and we are working now on 2011.

"Because the cost pressure makes it difficult for KERS, we are looking at a total range of environmental packages for 2011 and an economically viable KERS alternative. We'll decided on that with less pressure in the coming weeks."