Formula One should have even more US races - Ecclestone

F1 should drop some more European races and replace them with events in the US, Bernie Ecclestone said.

The sport's chief executive confirmed to reporters in India that, by 2013, Formula One will have three North American races; two in the US and one in Canada.

Bernie Ecclestone

Photo by: xpb.cc

Asked if the New York race endangers the Austin round, he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport: "Not as far as I know.

"We used to have three or four races in America, so we need two more. It is a big country. We have nine races in Europe and America is about the same size.

"So maybe we should have four in Europe and four in America," he said.

At the same time, the 81-year-old admitted that with Korea wanting to downsize its annual sanctioning fee, that event could be dropped.

"There are lots of things in life you can't afford, and you don't have to have them," said the Briton.

"It (Korea) was strange. They didn't really get behind it."

Ecclestone said the F1 calendar is unlikely to expand beyond 20 races, but said Spain will continue to host two races in Barcelona and Valencia.

He also expressed disappointment that one of his favourite drivers Karun Chandhok is not racing in India this weekend.

"I thought he had signed a contract for it," said Ecclestone.