European F1 race added to 2013 calendar

The 2013 Formula One season will have an additional race in Europe, with the venue yet to be decided, to make up for a postponed Grand Prix in New Jersey, the ruling body FIA said on Wednesday.

The FIA World Motorsport Council moved the German Grand Prix forward by one week to July 7, and July 21 “has been reserved for another F1 European event, subject to the approval of the relevant ASNs (national bodies).”

The German race will now come a week after the British race. The FIA did not announce a venue, as the planned site, the Nuerburgring, is in deep financial trouble and may not be able to stage the race.

If that is the case, the German GP would be held at Hockenheim as was the 2012 edition.

The July 21 race is a week ahead of Hungary, and could see a return to Turkey, which hosted an F1 race 2005-2011. A French GP, last on the F1 calendar in 2008, is also reportedly a possibility, with Magny Cours or Le Castellet being the possible venues.

F1 was originally due to see its debut in New Jersey on June 16, 2013, in place of the dropped European GP in Valencia, but that race has been postponed. The July 21 race brings the schedule back to 20 races.

FIA also said that teams can no longer claim exceptional circumstances – “force majeure” – when cars don’t return to the pits after qualifying and stop on the track, a move designed to clamp down on fuel issues after world champion Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton received grid penalties in 2012 for stopping on the track with not enough fuel.

Use of the DRS overtaking aid in free practice will be limited to the same areas it is allowed to be used in the race.

A Thursday curfew was extended from seven to eight hours and teams will have only two instead of four exceptions per season to work longer hours.

The FIA also discussed a new draft for technical regulations from 2014 onwards, when the sport undergoes another round of big changes such as a V6 engine instead of the V8 models used since 2006 until next year.

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