Formula One’s commercial ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone on Friday suggested that the Bahrain Grand Prix could be rescheduled as the season-opening race in place of Melbourne.
Ecclestone also told reporters in Manama for the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend that he had received assurances from the Sao Paulo mayor about plans to upgrade facilities at the Interlagos circuit.
“We’ve been waiting long enough. If Sao Paulo do what they say they are going to do, we don’t need to move,” he said.
The F1 supremo added that he was “talking to quite a few countries” about being added to the calendar, including Thailand, Mexico and Turkey.
Asked about the prospects of switching Bahrain from its current position as fourth race of the season to the curtain-raiser, he said he was “looking at” the proposal.
Bahrain race chief Zayed Alzayani is keen on the idea of his event becoming the first race again — as it was in 2006 and 2010.
That could lead to teams using Bahrain for pre-season testing and staying for a longer period in the Gulf kingdom.
“We could do, I suppose, couldn’t we?” said Ecclestone.
“We changed because Australia had been around a long time and .. wanted it. We would need to have a look at it.”
Ecclestone also reaffirmed his opposition to the turbo-charged 1.6-litre V6 engines that will replace the current 2.4-litre V8s from next year.
He said he feared the switch would prompt a “fuel economy run.”