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50 years ago, F1 race calendar look likes this......


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#1 HYMS

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 13:46

50 year ago, this was how the race calendar look likes

Date Grand Prix Circuit
17 Jan-Argentina-Buenos Aires
31 May-Indianapolis-Indianapolis
20 Jun-Belgium-Spa-Francorchamps
4 Jul-France-Reims
17 Jul-Great Britain-Silverstone
1 Aug-Germany-Nurburgring
22 Aug-Switzerland-Bremgarten
5 Sep-Italy-Monza
24 Oct-Spain-Pedralbes

However in 2004, this is how the race calendar look likes

Date Grand Prix Circuit
7-Mar Australia Albert Park
21-Mar Malaysia Sepang
4-Apr Bahrain Sakhir
25-Apr San Marino Imola
9-May Spain Barcelona
23-May Monaco Monaco
30-May Europe Nurburgring
13-Jun Canada Montreal
20-Jun USA Indianapolis
4-Jul France Magny Cours
11-Jul Britain Silverstone
25-Jul Germany Hockenheim
15-Aug Hungary Hungaroring
29-Aug Belgium Spa
12-Sep Italy Monza
26-Sep China Shanghai
10-Oct Japan Suzuka
24-Oct Brazil Interlagos


What has happens to Formula 1 today?
:|

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#2 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 14:09

What are you :| about? Its kept a similar 'core' schedule to the 1954 season, but added additional events in new areas. Hell you should be happy that there's simply twice as many events.

#3 Holger Merten

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 14:15

Yes what are you :| about? Time goes by , life changes and the world and people too.
So now we some more races on other tracks. And as you know, Bernie promised to have F 1 all over the world except in old Europe in 2010. :rolleyes: (Let us discuss later - give me six years).

#4 BRG

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 14:16

Originally posted by HYMS
What has happens to Formula 1 today? :|

I agree - why have they brought in this ridiculous race around the alleys of Monaco? We didn't need it in 1954, so why ahve we got it now?

#5 petefenelon

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 14:21

Originally posted by HYMS
50 year ago, this was how the race calendar look likes

Date Grand Prix Circuit
17 Jan-Argentina-Buenos Aires
31 May-Indianapolis-Indianapolis
20 Jun-Belgium-Spa-Francorchamps
4 Jul-France-Reims
17 Jul-Great Britain-Silverstone
1 Aug-Germany-Nurburgring
22 Aug-Switzerland-Bremgarten
5 Sep-Italy-Monza
24 Oct-Spain-Pedralbes


No, the World Championship calendar looked like that - for a start, Indy wasn't to F1 rules. And there were a lot of non-championship F1 races.

"What's happened" is that the Bernieisation of the sport has meant that F1 = World Championship = Identikit racing.

#6 HYMS

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 14:26

Originally posted by Holger Merten
(Let us discuss later - give me six years).


Did you predict that we would likely to have 24 race in a year in six year time ? :rolleyes:

#7 HYMS

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 14:34

Originally posted by BRG
I agree - why have they brought in this ridiculous race around the alleys of Monaco? We didn't need it in 1954, so why ahve we got it now?


Very good observation! I was also wondering on that particular issue.

#8 Macca

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 14:55

Back then there were about three times as many non-championship F1 races as WC - 'cos the organisers could attract a big crowd at economic entry fees and pay sensible start money to teams, who were glad of the exercise/money/chance to check competitiveness since they weren't testing or doing PR all the time.

):


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#9 Rob29

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 17:27

In 1952 the World Championship was for F2 + Indy. 7 F2 races counted for WC but there were also 35 non-championship races! Plus a few non-championship F1 races & Temporada Libre races,all of which some of the top drivers & teams of the day did.

#10 zak

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 17:49

Wonder how they managed the fly-away races 50 years ago? Commercial airplanes were smaller, couldn't fly as far.

Anyone know?

#11 petefenelon

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 18:23

Originally posted by zak
Wonder how they managed the fly-away races 50 years ago? Commercial airplanes were smaller, couldn't fly as far.

Anyone know?



The cars went by boat - often took weeks to get there. The drivers went by plane, usually.

The reason so many old cars ended their days down under is that they went on a one-way trip to the Australian and NZ races which were at the end of the European season! (There's quite a crop of them in South America too, but their races tended to be in the Northern Hemisphere Spring).

#12 Don Capps

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 18:27

Originally posted by petefenelon
No, the World Championship calendar looked like that - for a start, Indy wasn't to F1 rules. And there were a lot of non-championship F1 races.

"What's happened" is that the Bernieisation of the sport has meant that F1 = World Championship = Identikit racing.


If the rest of the calendar isn't published by the time I get home, I'll fill in the gaps. Actually, this was the first year that the International Sweepstakes was not to the International Formula since 1937.

Originally posted by zak
Wonder how they managed the fly-away races 50 years ago? Commercial airplanes were smaller, couldn't fly as far.

Anyone know?


First, there were things called ships....

Second, when used, the airplanes (usually a DC-6 or DC-7 configured for air freight) landed several times during the flight from the point of origin and the final destination...

As for Monaco, the current status as a Bedrock Grand Prix Event is scarcely borne out by its past and certainly not by any enthusiasm by the teams or drivers for the place.

#13 Wolf

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 18:37

OK, here is, to the best of my knowledge, full calender of 1954 GP (for GP cars, that is) and World Championship events:

09.01. New Zealand GP
17.01. II GP de la Republica Argentina
31.01. Buenos Aires GP
11.04. Syracuse GP
19.04. XV GP de Pau
19.04. Lavant Cup
09.05. Bordeaux GP
15.05. BRDC International Trophy
22.05. Bari GP
31.05. XXXVIII Indianapolis 500
05.06. Curtis Trophy
06.06. Rome GP
06.06. GP des Frontieres
07.06. BARC F1
19.06. Crystal Palace Trophy
20.06. XVI GP van Belgie
04.07. XLI GP de l'A.C.F.
11.07. Rouen GP
17.07. VII British GP
25.07. Caen GP
01.08. XVII GP von Deutschland
02.08. I August Cup
07.08. International Gold Cup
14.08. RedeX Trophy
15.08. XXIII GP Pescara
22.08. XIII GP der Schweiz
28.08. Joe Fry Memorial Trophy
30.08. Cadours GP
05.09. XXV GP d'Italia
19.09. Berlin GP
25.09. Goodwood Trophy
02.10. Daily Telegraph Trophy
24.10. XII GP de Espana

It seems there were more GP races in '54 than in '04...;) Championship events presumably covered longer distance than greater number of races today (4575km, vs 17x250=4250), and total length of races in '54 approaches 9900km.

#14 kos

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 18:51

Originally posted by Wolf
Championship events presumably covered longer distance than greater number of races today (4575km, vs 17x250=4250), and total length of races in '54 approaches 9900km.


Wolf, I think that you are mistaken. The minimum distance of today's F1 Championship races is 305 km rounded towards next full lap, with only Monaco being excpetion at something like ~270 km. So current championship length is more like 5150 kms min (for 17 races, one of which is Monaco).

#15 Michael Müller

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 19:23

I even go one step further, here is a list of sports car races, WC and others, with a lot of F1 drivers entered:

24.01.54 - Buenos Aires 1000 km
28.02.54 - GP Agadir
07.03.54 - GP Senegal
07.03.54 - Sebring 12 Hours
04.04.54 - Giro di Sicilia
01/02.05.54 - Mille Miglia
08.05.54 - Le Mans Tests
30.05.54 - Targa Florio
12/13.06.54 - 24 Heures du Mans
27.06.54 - GP do Porto
25.07.54 - GP Portogal
11.09.54 - Tourist Trophy
19/23.11.54 - Carrera Panamericana

Teams and drivers had to do as much races as possible, because they needed the start and price money, nearly the only source of income in those days. And in the winter period they looked for other places to go, in the 40's and early 50's this was South America, and in the 60's the Tasman series. In 1954 this was a "Africa Tour" to Morocco and Senegal.
And in the early 50's and later in the 60's F1 drivers also participated regularly in F2 events, only to fill up the calendar and the bank account.

Monaco was after the war was raced in 1948, 1950, and 1952, and from 1955 onwards it was integral part of the WC (btw, also in 1950).

#16 Wolf

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 19:42

Kos- thanks for correction. :up: I usualy must get something wrong in my post- it's sort of trademark... :blush:

#17 Racer.Demon

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 19:51

I'd say 50 years ago they raced to win the race. These days they race to win the championship.

#18 Don Capps

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Posted 28 January 2004 - 20:02

Originally posted by Racer.Demon
I'd say 50 years ago they raced to win the race. These days they race to win the championship.


Aha! Someone seems to have broken the code!

#19 HYMS

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Posted 29 January 2004 - 05:15

Originally posted by Don Capps


Aha! Someone seems to have broken the code!


Yes. indeed. :up:

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#20 Racer.Demon

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Posted 29 January 2004 - 08:19

It wasn't Enigma code, really... ;)