Accent on heritage as Malaysian GP bows out and France, Germany return in 2018

A deal has been struck for this year's edition of the Malaysian Grand Prix to be the last, but 2018 will see a 21 race calendar featuring two heritage events in France and Germany, according to F1's new commercial boss.

Sean Bratches, F1's managing director of commercial operations, announced Friday that Malaysia would host its final Grand Prix this year, after government ministers had made clear last year that they would not fund the event beyond the current contract that was due to expire after the 2018 race. Low ticket sales and the costs of staging the event were the cause.

A deal to return F1 to France had been struck last year with Paul Ricard circuit and Bratches took the opportunity to confirm that the race will go ahead in Germany in 2018, which will make a 21 race calendar.

Germany has had problems funding the event in recent years, after Nurburgring got into difficulties. The venue was supposed to alternate years with Hockenheim and 2018 is Hockenheim's turn. There is a strong desire from Mercedes and other companies in F1 to see a race in Germany. It will be interesting to see what steps are taken to find a long term solution for Germany to keep it on the calendar.

Like most American sports owners and rights holders Liberty Media, F1's new owner, has a strong feeling for history and heritage and this is another indicator of that. Getting the balance right between classic iconic venues in Europe and new venues in new markets is crucial to preserving the DNA of the sport as well as growing it.

Before Christmas, Silverstone, home of the British GP which has been on the F1 calendar since the first season in 1950, issued a more positive assessment of it's position, saying "After….completion of the sale of Formula One to Liberty Media, your Board has now decided to shelve discussions about a sale and continue on a go-it-alone basis. While this is not without risk, we feel sufficient confidence in the improved prospects for our business to justify this change of direction."

Hosting races in developed countries with a large existing fan base is clearly a priority as ageing F1 fans pass they love for the sport down to their children backed by a push on social media to reach the younger demographics. That's not to say that F1 has no business pushing into new markets, but it needs to be done strategically, where there is a realistic chance of developing a motorsport culture.

Korea has to be worth another look on that basis, as it's a serious car producing country, with high GDP per person and a race near Seoul would make far more sense than the track that was built in the remote area or Mockpo and quickly failed.

As for the return of France and Germany, which can trace their motorsport roots back to the start of the 20th century and the birth of the automobile, this is a promising indicator. Silverstone seems to be much more relaxed about its long term prospects as a host venue for F1 since Liberty took over. Americans love history in sports and it is clearly one of the foundations of the Liberty project to build on that history.

They have said they also plan more races in the USA, with Las Vegas and Miami mentioned, but there were rumours in Melbourne that the plan to host a race in New Jersey, across from New York City, was being reconsidered.

Bratches said of the Malaysia decision: "It's always sad to say goodbye to a member of the Formula 1 family.

"Over nearly two decades, the Malaysian Formula 1 fans have proven themselves to be some of the sport's most passionate supporters.

"As we said in Melbourne, we have big plans for bringing our global fan base closer to the sport than ever before, providing an enhanced digital experience and creating new events. We're looking forward to talking more about these plans as the season progresses.

"We will have 21 exciting events to look forward to in the 2018 calendar, with the additions of the French and German races. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Sepang International Circuit for their hospitality and professionalism over the years, and their ongoing commitment to motorsport.