Webber: F1 needs traditional venues

Red Bull Racing‘s Mark Webber believes Formula One’s move into new territories is inevitable, although he would like to see the sport retaining its European ’backbone’.

Speaking in Singapore, where he toured a street circuit that has been proposed as a new F1 venue, the Australian admitted some concern about the loss of races like the San Marino and European Grands Prix.

“My opinion is that we still need to keep the backbone of where the sport was born, which is over there (in Europe),” said the 30-year-old.

“We need to keep a lot of that feeling for it although we also have to be absolutely open to fresh ideas.”

Despite those concerns, Webber feels the introduction of races in new territories in Asia and the Middle East is inevitable if F1 wants to properly identify itself as a global sport.

“It’s a world championship sport so we have to travel to different countries to race and show we are competing at different venues around the world and that we have people of different nationalities competing at this level.

“Coming to new venues is inevitable, that will continue to happen. Every decade, some venues drop off and some new ones come in.

“The new tracks at Shanghai and Istanbul which have come in are absolutely massive financial acquisitions from the governments or the people who have funded these programmes. That’s why they will probably stay in the calendar for a while.”

However, while Webber believes more European races could face the chop in the coming years, he does not feel the door has been closed permanently on F1’s return to its historical tracks.

“There have some scalps like Imola, which has lost its berth at the moment, while Spa was off the calendar but is coming back again this year.

“That’s just the way it goes. I think we will see some venues pop out and the odd one will come back.”