F12008: Circuits & Calendar

The teams are set up in the Albert Park pitlane, the cars are ready and the anticipation has hit fever-point. With just one day to go before we see all the cars together in competition, the final preview post for 2008 is here: Circuits and Calendar. The 2008 season will see the Formula One circus travel to eighteen races located in seventeen countries and five continents. Approximately 28 tons of equipment (per team) is shipped a massive 100,000 miles to each venue. Here is where the teams and drivers will be travelling to this season…

For a further breakdown of the circuits with additional information, please visit the calendar page.

The 2008 championship sees two new circuits added; Valencia and Singapore. Both are street circuits, much like Monaco, and the SIngapore event is to be the first night race in the history of Formula One. The FIA have done some testing, using the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in America last year to run a safety car around under their lighting system. It will be very interesting to see how the race goes, and more importantly from Bernie Ecclestone’s point of view, how many people watch it in Europe.

The season extends in to November this year, something I cannot remember happening in my memory of the sport. But the added breaks during the year will provide a welcome pause to the action, and of course helps to reduce the drag of the off-season. It is also good to see that the ridiculous break that happened after the third race in 2007 has been sorted, so the season-start should have a better rhythm as the circus returns to Europe.