Crash.net
Jonathan, what are your thoughts on the calendar?
Jonathan Ashman:
It really goes along with what we have been planning for a long time, to gently, gently make the series more global. Certainly the original plan was to slowly expand it and Japan is somewhere we wanted to go for a long time because we keep getting interest from the Japanese manufacturers – but no-one has committed yet. Yokohama were keen to go to Japan and with their help, it is on the calendar which is the most significant addition.
Crash.net
And Mexico is there as well...
JA:
We’ve been to Meixco before at Puebla but we had some problems there. Although it was a fantastic track for touring car racing and we got an enormous number of spectators, there were problems with the track surface so there are other possibilities. It hasn’t been nailed down as to which of two tracks we are going to but certainly we will be back in mexico as the manufacturers regard it as a key market and almost all of them want to be there.
Crash.net
Can you reveal which two circuits they are?
JA:
Either Mexico City or Monterey, but even in Monterey there are two actual possibilities. The promoter makes the choice where we go as it is a commercial matter similar to
Formula 1. The original Monterey doesn’t exist anymore and there is a different track, so we need to work with the
FIA to homologate the track and ensure it is safe. The Mexican people are coming to
Brands Hatch for a meeting this weekend so we should know where we stand more.
Crash.net
Valencia and Brands Hatch may swap dates? How likely is that?
JA:
Very likely. This calendar is quite an early version and it is much more likely that we will go to Brands Hatch earlier in the year as that would suit in both cases.
Crash.net
There is an increase to twelve events this year from eleven. Is that increase likely to continue or will you try and keep the calendar to that level?
JA:
All along we have said twelve would be the absolute maximum, although of course there may be changes within the twelve. We don’t want to go to more.
Crash.net
How might you incorporate more events? Would you do similar to Portugal where you will rotate the venue and maybe rotate countries as they plan to do in the WRC?
![Jorg Muller and Luca Rangoni lead at the start of race two in Valencia [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/325857.jpg)
