20-race F1 calendar ‘possible’

Toyota F1 president John Howett believes it is 'possible' that the grand prix calendar will feature an exhausting twenty races for the 2006 season.

At a world council meeting in June, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was granted 20 provisional dates for next year, to add yet another stop to the already unprecedented '05 schedule.

''I understand that twenty (races) is possible,'' said Howett, ''but for the moment there is no decision about it.''

A more than 17-grand prix calendar requires the agreement of all formula one teams, and – in all probability, like this year – multi-million dollar compensation.

Howett, however, suggested that a 20-race run might involve even more than that. He hinted that the teams may demand a 'complete overhaul' of the weekend and test formats.