The 2021 F1 calendar has been shortened from 23 races to 22 following the cancellation of races due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the championship has announced.
The latter stages of the season were thrown into doubt when the Australian and Japanese grands prix were scratched from the schedule. That left two empty slots in October and November and put F1’s plan to hold a 23-race schedule in jeopardy.F1 has now confirmed it will scale back the schedule to 22 races. It has not announced a venue for the single race which is being added in place of the two lost rounds. Qatar’s Losail International Circuit is understood to be under consideration.
As RaceFans reported earlier, the races in Turkey, Mexico and Brazil have all been pushed back by a week. F1 has indicated the additional round will take place on November 21st, forming a double-header with Brazil’s race, rather than on November 28th, which would create a triple-header with the final two races of the season.
The latest changes to the calendar follow “extensive discussions with the promoters and national authorities”, said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
“The pandemic continues to present the season with challenges but we have proven we can adapt and we are confident we can deliver a record breaking 22 races this year despite a global pandemic.”
The revised schedule was presented to teams earlier today. Yesterday McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl indicated commercial realities may make a 23-race schedule unfeasible for teams.
“In terms of number of races, I think it’s simply important that we don’t do the number of races of 23, for example, at any cost,” he said. “It obviously needs to make sense, also, from the commercial point of view. But again, that’s Stefano’s task and we have full trust he will get this right.”
“It is very important to make sure we protect our people as much as we can, accepting that it is obviously another strange year,” Seidl added.
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F1’s confirmed revisions to second half of 2021 F1 calendar
| Round | Country | Circuit | Race date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps | 29/08/2021 |
| 13 | Netherlands | Zandvoort | 05/09/2021 |
| 14 | Italy | Monza | 12/09/2021 |
| 15 | Russia | Sochi Autodrom | 26/09/2021 |
| 16 | Turkey | Istanbul Park | 10/10/2021 |
| 17 | USA | Circuit of the Americas | 24/10/2021 |
| 18 | Mexico | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez | 07/11/2021 |
| 19 | Brazil | Interlagos | 14/11/2021 |
| 20 | TBC | TBC | 21/11/2021 |
| 21 | Saudi Arabia | Jeddah Corniche Circuit | 05/12/2021 |
| 22 | Abu Dhabi | Yas Marina | 12/12/2021 |
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Jere (@jerejj)
28th August 2021, 12:36
Swapping Brazil and USA weekends around would be better as this would nullify the Red List impact but keep the schedule structure ideal unless a no go for freight lead time. In this case, F1 should merely give up on the Red List trio, which would put all uncertainties to bed as still having some this late in the season is unbeneficial for everyone.
I feel like F1 doesn’t handle these things as well as it should.
Here’s an ideal alternative remainder post-Russian GP:
10.3 A European circuit, preferably a Mediterranean climate zone one
24.10 COTA as scheduled
31.10 COTA again
Losail & Sakhir on 14 & 21.11 in either order or former on both
Jeddah & YMC as scheduled.
BTW, 21 or 28.11, a triple-header either way.
Simon
28th August 2021, 12:51
Was always going to happen. Brazil and Mexico? Won’t happen as I’ve said for 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒔 now. Abu Dhabi will be 20th or 21st race
Dave
28th August 2021, 13:12
It will become 21 races if they can’t find a spot for the 20th race.
jlb
28th August 2021, 13:32
Losail is crap for motorcycles. I can’t imagine for a ~2 m. width car