No replacement for Chinese GP, F1 season to have 23 races
FORMULA 1 will have 23 races this season, still a record and one more than last year, with the sport facing a four-week gap in April after deciding not to replace the cancelled Chinese Grand Prix.
The race in Shanghai, originally scheduled for Apr 16 as the fourth of 24 rounds, was axed last month for the fourth year in a row, due to strict local measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Formula 1 had said that it was assessing alternative options, with various venues touted in the media, including Portugal’s Portimao circuit, which was used as a replacement in 2020 and 2021 for races cancelled during the pandemic.
“Formula 1 can confirm that the 2023 season will consist of 23 races. All existing race dates on the calendar remain unchanged,” the organisation said on Tuesday (Jan 17).
That will leave a gap between Australia’s race in Melbourne on Apr 2, and Azerbaijan’s Grand Prix in Baku on Apr 30.
Sources said that the Chinese Grand Prix organisers had sought a reinstatement after Beijing relaxed Covid controls, but that was ruled out for logistical reasons.
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Bringing the race in Baku forward by a week was also considered.
The 2023 calendar features the return of Qatar’s Grand Prix in October, a debut night race in Las Vegas in November, and six sprint-race weekends.
Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen will be chasing his third championship in a row when the season starts in Bahrain on Mar 5, after pre-season testing at the Sakhir circuit in late February.
The season ends in Abu Dhabi on Nov 26. REUTERS
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