British fans of open-wheel racing will have two chances to catch Superleague Formula when it comes to the UK in 2010 with dates confirmed at both Silverstone and Brands Hatch.
The move was widely anticipated after the football-themed series accidentally released its expanded calendar in October.
It visits both circuits for the first time and fills a hole left in the Brands Hatch calendar after its boss Jonathan Palmer expressed his unwillingness to take a punt on previous regular attender A1GP staying solvent – a decision that looks very wise with hindsight.
The leaked calendar also revealed a potential clash with the apparently defunct A1GP series, scheduled to be racing in Assen in The Netherlands for its season finale on the weekend of May 15th.
But now the date has been confirmed as the second event in Superleague’s 2010 schedule.
The series will also visit a range of European tracks including Magny-Cours, the Nurburgring and Monza. Further British interest is assured with 2009 championship runner-up Craig Dolby predicted to be returning to the Tottenham Hotspur car and former AS Roma and Flamengo driver Jonathan Kennard also hoping for a return.
Palmer said: “I’m delighted that Brands Hatch will host Superleague Formula next season, and it’s fantastic to add another prestigious single seater series to the calendar alongside the FIA Formula Two Championship.
“The Superleague cars are even more powerful than the A1GP cars and, with their V12 engines, sound absolutely amazing. They are impressively big cars too so with the reverse grids it will be a fabulous spectacle for fans of motorsport and football alike.”
Superleague Formula’s Competition Director Robin Webb, added: “Although we’ve had to make some changes in the last few weeks, I’m extremely happy with the new schedule.
“There’s a great mix of circuits with some existing and ex-F1 venues supplemented by regional tracks which are ideal given their location. Jarama’s proximity to Madrid for instance allowed local Atletico fans the chance to come along and support their team this year, a factor which helped attract 30,000 people.
“With more established drivers also taking an interest in Superleague, I’m confident that 2010 will prove a vintage season. We are still looking at one or two non-European rounds at the end of the year. We are getting offers from outside of Europe, and our two major targets are the Middle East and South America.”
Superleague Formula Calendar 2010:
- Apr 3/4: Silverstone, UK
- May 15/16: Assen, Holland
- May 22/23: Magny-Cours, France
- Jun 19/20: Jarama, Spain
- Jun 26/27: Nurburgring, Germany
- Jul 3/4: Oschersleben, Germany
- Jul 17/18: Zolder, Belgium
- Jul 31/Aug 1: Brands Hatch, UK
- Sep 18/19: Estoril, Portugal
- Oct 2/3: Monza, Italy
- Nov 13/14: Jerez, Spain
- Final event: venue and date to be confirmed