Paul Ricard and Spa-Francorchamps set to feature on 2014 calendar
France and Belgium are set to be back on the FIA World Touring Car Championship calendar for the 2014 season, whilst Italy and Portugal are set to depart, with the number of rounds in Western Europe maintained at six.
The official calendar is set to be unveiled later this week, but information circulating the paddock in recent weeks indicates that the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France will host the season opening round in mid to late April, in order to give the teams and new manufacturers enough time to develop and test their new cars, with this year’s season finishing in late November at Macau.
This is set to be in place of Monza, which has hosted the season opener for the past two years. Monza has been a mainstay on the WTCC calendar, but is also one of the more costly and lesser attended rounds and was always a prime candidate for replacement.
Spa-Francorchamps is also rumoured to be returning to the calendar. The Belgian circuit hosted a round in the inaugural season in 2005, but at 7km long, it would also be the longest race on the calendar, and each race would be just nine laps in length.
Portugal was already due to be absent from the calendar during 2014 with Porto hosting a round every other year, and the current economic issues of the Algarve circuit near Portimão. The Championship’s organisers have been looking at adding Brazil to the calendar as part of a South American double-header with Termas de Río Hondo in Argentina, but it’s not clear if this will be happening now, leaving a gap to add Spa and maintain the calendar at 12 events in 2014.
The events therefore slated to be on the calendar in 2014 are France (Paul Ricard), Morocco (Marrakech), Slovakia (Slovakiaring), Hungary (Hungaroring), Austria (Salzburgring), Russia (Moscow Raceway), Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps), Argentina (Termas de Río Hondo), USA (Sonoma), Japan (Suzuka), China (Shanghai) and Macau (SAR of China).
