LONDON, England - Korea has been removed from the latest version of the 2015 Formula 1 calendar.
Insiders were initially stunned early in December 2014 when the International Automobile Federation's calendar for 2015 carried an unprecedented 21 Grand Prix dates which included the unpopular South Korea.
Korean organisers played down the inclusion - even Bernie Ecclestone admitted it was unlikely - as experts explained it was probably a mere 'trick' to trigger a loophole in the long-life engine use rules for 2015.
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However, at the latest 'strategy group' meeting, the engine rule loophole was closed and in the hours before Christmas the federation issued a 'definitive' 2015 calendar on which Korea does not feature.
However, the final 2015 calendar does declare that 2015's F1 championship will be played out in "21 competitions", even though only 20 races are listed.