Korea dropped from 2015 calendar

The Korean Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2015 calendar, reducing the season back to the original 20 races.

The race was a shock addition to the calendar last month, and was awkwardly scheduled just one week before the start of the European season in Spain.

However, the unpopular race has now been scrapped after it became clear that it was not viable despite Bernie Ecclestone’s insistence that it be added.

Sceptics have suggested that the event had been added without any intention of an actual race being staged, in order to help teams manage their engines.

Back straight between corner 2 & 3

New rules for this season say that teams are limited to four engines, but this would increase to the five they had in 2014 if the calendar exceeded 20 races “as originally scheduled”.

Rumours are circulating that the race was added after pressure from engine manufacturers, and particularly Renault and the team they supply, Red Bull.

Renault was the least reliable team last season and ex-champion Sebastian Vettel struggled for much of the season.

Korea hosted a race each year from 2010-2013, but the event has been under fire for the low attendances and poor location of the race track.

Bernie Ecclestone is understood to be keen to make Formula 1 work in large economic countries such as Korea and India, which has also lost its place on the calendar since 2013.

With Malaysia unlikely to renew its current contract, it is thought that a street race in the Korean city of Soul could the answer to Ecclestone’s problems.

The final 2015 calendar can be found here.

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