Covid-19 is once again affecting the Formula 1 calendar: a GP that hasn’t been raced for almost four years has been canceled.
There Formula 1 will not race in China even in 2023. This was confirmed by the ownership of the maximum four-wheeled motor sport, which attributed the reasons to the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government for the containment of Covid-19.
The Chinese Grand Prixabsent from the circus since 2019, was scheduled for the weekend of April 16thhowever pending confirmation of an easing of restrictions to allow F1 to move in and out of the country smoothly.
Easing that, as expected, has not arrived and in a statement released today, Formula One has made it known that it has decided to abandon the Chinese round for the fourth consecutive year.
F1, Chinese GP 2023 cancelled: which circuit will replace it?
“Formula 1 can confirm, following dialogue with the promoter and the competent authorities, that the Chinese Grand Prix 2023 will not take place due to the continuing difficulties presented by the situation related to the COVID-19“, reads the press release released by F1.
“Formula 1 is considering alternative options to replace the slot in the 2023 calendar and will provide an update on this in due course“.
With the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix, a “gap” of four weeks would be created between the Australian Grand Prix on April 2nd and the next Azerbaijan Grand Prix set for April 30th.
A solution is therefore being sought: the first was to move the Baku GP, but the organizers pushed to keep the agreed date on the calendar.
So, as was done in 2020 and, in part, in 2021, the idea is to replace the GP with another stageso as to maintain the commitment of the 24 tenders scheduled for next year.
One of the most accredited options is that of Portimaoin Portugal, a circuit much loved by riders and fans and which we saw on the calendar in 2020 and 2021 to replace some stages that were later cancelled.
However, for the moment no decision has been made on the matter and we will have to wait a bit before we find out anything. After all, for the Formula 1 there will also be any cost management to manage if you go to Europe.
Placing a tender in the old continent between Australia and Azerbaijan could be inconvenient in terms of transport, both from an economic and a logistical point of view.
The only certainty however is that the Chinese Grand Prix now seems to be affected by the COVID-19 curse. While all over the world the emergency seems to have passed, at least from the point of view of the restrictions, the local government prefers to keep the hard line and thus give up the race for the fourth year in a row.
