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YEONGAM, South Korea - Formula One teams face an almost impossible logistical challenge if a race in New Jersey remains on the 2014 calendar on the weekend immediately after Monaco, team managers said after the 2013 Korean GP.
The current calendar, which has an asterisk against three races including the race on the US East Coast, includes a novel 'triple header' of Monaco, New Jersey and Canada on successive weekends from May 25 to June 8 in 2014.
TIGHT SCHEDULE
Some team principals expect the final calendar to have fewer races, with New Jersey's street race currently the most in doubt along with South Korea.
Ferrari's Massimo Rivola told a news conference at the Korean Grand Prix: "It's something almost impossible to be done, to be honest but... we will see the real calendar and then we figure it out."
The freight for a long-haul race like Canada has traditionally been sent on the Saturday of the previous week to allow plenty of time to clear customs and for teams to set up garages and prepare cars for Friday practice.
Sauber's Beat Zehnder said any later shipment would have a knock-on effect. "I think we would have to start packing up on Saturday in Monaco to make it to Jersey," he said. "If you're only able to send your freight on a Monday or a Tuesday, it compromises your weekend quite a bit."
Force India's Andy Stevenson was more optimistic, even if he too recognised the schedule as extremely challenging. Stevenson said: "We haven't focused on it too much just yet.
"It was only announced last week to the teams, or to the public in general, and we'll wait until the calendar has been ratified before we put any resource into understanding exactly how we will deal with it. As always in F1, if a challenge is put before us, we will make it work. So, we'll wait until it has been ratified."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 F1 season – fresh reports every day.
The current calendar, which has an asterisk against three races including the race on the US East Coast, includes a novel 'triple header' of Monaco, New Jersey and Canada on successive weekends from May 25 to June 8 in 2014.
TIGHT SCHEDULE
Some team principals expect the final calendar to have fewer races, with New Jersey's street race currently the most in doubt along with South Korea.
Ferrari's Massimo Rivola told a news conference at the Korean Grand Prix: "It's something almost impossible to be done, to be honest but... we will see the real calendar and then we figure it out."
The freight for a long-haul race like Canada has traditionally been sent on the Saturday of the previous week to allow plenty of time to clear customs and for teams to set up garages and prepare cars for Friday practice.
Sauber's Beat Zehnder said any later shipment would have a knock-on effect. "I think we would have to start packing up on Saturday in Monaco to make it to Jersey," he said. "If you're only able to send your freight on a Monday or a Tuesday, it compromises your weekend quite a bit."
Force India's Andy Stevenson was more optimistic, even if he too recognised the schedule as extremely challenging. Stevenson said: "We haven't focused on it too much just yet.
"It was only announced last week to the teams, or to the public in general, and we'll wait until the calendar has been ratified before we put any resource into understanding exactly how we will deal with it. As always in F1, if a challenge is put before us, we will make it work. So, we'll wait until it has been ratified."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 F1 season – fresh reports every day.