Ecclestone aiming for Russian GP in 2012

06/04/2010

With Korea due to host its Grand Prix later this year and India due to join the calendar in 2011, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that he plans to have F1 in Russia in 2012 and on the streets of New York a year later.

The possibility of a Grand Prix in Russia has been talked about for some time, with former Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw linked with such a project ten years ago. However, with Vital Petrov securing a seat with Renault, thereby becoming the first Russian to contest the Formula One World Championship, interest in the sport is growing and Bernie senses an opportunity.

The most likely location for the Russian race would be Sochi, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, while Moscow must also be a contender.

However, while Ecclestone insists that the teams must accept a calendar of at least twenty races, fans in Europe must accept that traditional events are under threat as he continues to seek out new opportunities - read money - for the sport

"We're going to lose some races for sure, there are some races we can afford to lose without too much problem," he told Bloomberg. "I've spoken to the countries to see what we can come up with."

While unable - or unwilling - to give further details on his plans for Russia, the Englishman continues to focus on his plans for a race in the Big Apple.

"The idea is that you see New York in the background," he said, revealing that a decision will be made "in the next couple of months."

In many ways, this could be Formula One's biggest challenged. Staging a Bahrain-style yawnfest in the 'city that never sleeps'.