The FIA, Formula One's governing body, has released a new race calendar for the 2011 season that incorporates 20 venues, with an Indian race scheduled for 30th October.
Other changes include Brazil replacing Abu Dhabi as the final event of the season, the longest in history, which will end on 27th November. The British Grand Prix will take place on July 10, to mark the halfway point of the season.
However, after a meeting of the FIA World Council today, it was made clear that no new teams would be added to the roster following the late withdrawal of the US F1 outfit just prior to the start of the current season. In a statement, they explained that "none of the candidates met the requirements to be granted an entry."
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, who won the championship back in 1997, had been hoping to return to the grid after lodging an entry in partnership with Italian former GP2 team Durango. Epsilon Euskadi, from Spain, were also turned away for the second consecutive year, having also failed to make the cut in 2009.
Lotus, Virgin F1 and Hispania, the new teams admitted to the roster a year ago, have found the going very tough up to this point. All three are yet to get off the mark after thirteen races and are way off the pace of the more established franchises.
In response to the controversy caused by Renault at the 2008 Grand Prix, where Nelson Piquet Junior was told to crash deliberately in order to increase the chances of his teammate Fernando Alonso, the FIA have also vowed to clean up the sport by introducing licensing on certain team staff members.
"The World Motorsport Council will submit a proposal to the General Assembly that a specific license is created for a restricted list of members of staff of the competitors in the FIA World Championships," the statement read.
"Entrants will also become responsible for their staff, meaning any person connected directly or indirectly with the entrant in connection with their participation in the event."
