Although some F1 people, including Flavio Briatore and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone would like to see more races on the calendar, FIA president Max Mosley believes the 2003 programme of 16 events should be the norm.

At the first of two get-togethers with the media, Mosley said that in the long term the rights to host rounds of the championship will be given more sparingly, allocated in relation to TV audience figures and relevance to sponsors. In the wake of Bernie Ecclestone's comments that this year's San Marino GP will be the last, the Englishman suggested that in future countries might not be in a position to host two rounds of the championship.

"In the long term it's going to be difficult to maintain the smaller races," he said, "and it's also going to be difficult to have two races in one country."

"In the longer term we would prefer to see 16 races," he added. "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."

Absolutely correct, F1 should be about quality rather than quantity. However if TV audience figures are to be the guide as to which countries get F1 races then surely the sport should be heading west rather than east.