China’s inclusion is also asterisked; the Beijing event will have to ensure the areas of concern raised in the FIA’s observers’ report from its August candidate event are addressed.
FIA president Jean Todt had made his feelings clear about the calendar before today’s meeting, underlining the fact that he wouldn’t be dictated to by series stakeholders about how many rallies the FIA included in its calendar.
The manufacturers and WRC Promoter are reported to be furious with the decision.
In the summer, Citroen CEO Linda Jackson made the French firm’s position quite clear when she said: “We’re looking for something with the same number of races – 12 or 13, including China. We would want a presence in China, that’s our first market and obviously it’s important for us.
“We need to make sure whichever discipline we go to, we need to make sure we can work on the same budget or less. Yes Citroen Racing and sport is important for us, but it would have to be within the budgets we have already got.”
Clearly, adding one more round – and a longhaul event at that – into the schedule is not going to be possible on the same budget as this season.
Source: Maxrally