New Jersey featured on 22 race provisional F1 calendar - MotorSportsTalk

The proposed Grand Prix of America at New Jersey has been featured on the World Motor Sport Council’s provisional calendar for the 2014 Formula One season, marking a huge step forward for the second race in the U.S.

The previous ‘draft’ schedule that was circulated at the Italian Grand Prix did not feature the race, but this was purely because the organizers at GP America had failed to submit their application to the national authorities. However, a spokesperson for the race confirmed to NBC Sports in Singapore that the required paperwork had been handed in.

As a result, the race has been given a tentative date of June 1 for 2014, being the middle weekend of a triple-header of races that will see the F1 circus visit Monaco, New Jersey and Montreal all in the space of twenty-one days.

The season will start – as tradition dictates – in Australia on March 16, coming to a close on the final day of November in Brazil. It will be by far the longest Formula One season to date in terms of both races and actual days.

The calendar features three other new races besides New Jersey: Russia, Mexico and Austria. F1 last visited Mexico in 1992, with Austria’s final grand prix being hosted in 2003.

In a couple of other minor changes, Bahrain moves to the third round of the season, swapping places with China, whilst the Korean Grand Prix swaps its fall date for one at the end of April.

It is worth noting that Korea, New Jersey and Mexico are all ‘provisional’, with the circuits still requiring approval.

Provisional 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship Calendar

16th March – Australian Grand Prix
30 March – Malaysian Grand Prix
6th April – Bahrain Grand Prix
20th April – Chinese Grand Prix
27th April – Korean Grand Prix*
11th May – Spanish Grand Prix
25th May – Monaco Grand Prix
1st June – Grand Prix of America (New Jersey)*
8th June – Canadian Grand Prix
22nd June – Austrian Grand Prix
6th July – British Grand Prix
20th July – German Grand Prix (Hockenheim)
27th July – Hungarian Grand Prix
24th August – Belgian Grand Prix
7th September – Italian Grand Prix
21st September – Singapore Grand Prix
5th October – Russian Grand Prix
12th October – Japanese Grand Prix
26th October – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
9th November – United States Grand Prix
16th November – Mexican Grand Prix*
30th November – Brazilian Grand Prix

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The NBC Sports IndyCar power rankings naturally were as jumbled as the action on the streets of St. Petersburg after a chaotic opener to the 2023 season.

Pato O’Ward, who finished second because of an engine blip that cost him the lead with a few laps remaining, moves into the top spot ahead of St. Pete winner Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi, who finished fourth in his Arrow McLaren debut. Scott Dixon and St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who led 31 laps) rounded out the top five.

St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who started first at St. Pete after capturing his second career pole position) Callum Ilott (a career-best fifth) and Graham Rahal entered the power rankings entering the season’s second race.

Three drivers fell out of the preseason top 10 after the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – including previously top-ranked Josef Newgarden, who finished 17^th after qualifying 14^th.

Heading into Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, here’s NBC Sports’ assessment of the current top 10 drivers through the first of 17 races this year (with previous preseason rankings in parenthesis):

NBC Sports’ IndyCar Power Rankings

1. Pato O’Ward (5) – If not for the dreaded “plenum event” in the No. 5 Chevrolet, the Arrow McLaren driver is opening the season with a victory capping a strong race weekend.

2. Marcus Ericsson (7) – He might be the most opportunistic driver in IndyCar, but that’s because the 2022 Indy 500 winner has become one of the series’ fastest and most consistent stars.

3. Alexander Rossi (10) – He overcame a frustrating Friday and mediocre qualifying to open his Arrow McLaren career with the sort of hard-earned top five missing in his last years at Andretti.

4. Scott Dixon (3) – Put aside his opening-lap skirmish with former teammate Felix Rosenqvist, and it was a typically stealthily good result for the six-time champion.

5. Romain Grosjean (NR) – The St. Petersburg pole-sitter consistently was fastest on the streets of St. Petersburg over the course of the race weekend, which he couldn’t say once last year.

6. Scott McLaughlin (6) – Easily the best of the Team Penske drivers before his crash with Grosjean, McLaughlin drove like a legitimate 2023 championship contender.

7. Callum Ilott (NR) – A quietly impressive top five for the confident Brit in Juncos Hollinger Racing’s first race as a two-car team. Texas will be a big oval litmus test.

8. Graham Rahal (NR) – Sixth at St. Pete, Rahal still has the goods on street courses, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan remains headed in the right direction.

9. Alex Palou (4) – He seemed a step behind Ericsson and Dixon in the race after just missing the Fast Six in qualifying, but this was a solid start for Palou.

10. Will Power (2) – An uncharacteristic mistake that crashed Colton Herta put a blemish on the type of steady weekend that helped him win the 2022 title.

Falling out (last week): Josef Newgarden (1), Colton Herta (8), Christian Lundgaard (9)