Ferrari not keen on December 11 finale

Ferrari is the latest team to question the wisdom of extending the 2011 calendar into mid December to make room for Bahrain.

Stefano Domenicali confirmed on Friday that, ostensibly for logistical reasons, December 4 has been ruled out and instead December 11 is the proposed extended date for the inaugural Indian grand prix.

That would mean Bahrain slots into India’s original late October date, with Bernie Ecclestone keen to push the new calendar through at next week’s World Motor Sport Council.

"So this (December 11) is quite a tricky calendar, if I may say," the Ferrari team boss admitted in Monaco.

"We need to work together with them to see if, for the benefit of being there (in Bahrain) for a really long time, it’s good to do a choice for this year or wait and see," he added.

He is not the only F1 chief with reservations.

"Makes for an awfully long season, doesn’t it?" observed Red Bull’s Adrian Newey.

Agreed Virgin’s Graeme Lowdon: "I think it does make it quite tough on the teams."