AFP | Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place on April 16 in Shanghai, is canceled due to the “current difficulties presented by the COVID-19 situation in the country”, world championship organizers announced yesterday. in a press release.
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Formula 1 has not come since 2019 to China, where restrictions are still draconian to fight the pandemic.
Options are being studied to replace the event and to maintain a calendar of 24 races, which would be a record.
In this respect, the Chinese stopover could be replaced by Portugal, which would be willing to host the F1 circus after having organized a last event in 2021.
On the other hand, if F1 does not replace the event, a season with 23 races (including the first scheduled for Bahrain on March 5) would still be unprecedented in the specialty. The current record is 22 Grands Prix set in 2021 and 2022.
Anger and demonstrations
A week after a BBC article announcing this cancellation, F1, which had denied it, finally confirmed the news after a new dialogue with the promoter and the competent authorities.
The move comes after a wave of angry protests in China over health restrictions. And this, despite signs of a possible reduction, this week by the authorities, of their strict policy.
According to the BBC, F1 staff would not have been exempted from quarantine requirements if infected with COVID-19, making it very risky for teams to come to the country on a tight schedule.
Baku could be overtaken
The absence of China, for the fourth consecutive season since the start of the pandemic, leaves a gap between the Australian Grand Prix on April 2 and that in Azerbaijan, in Baku, on April 30.
But this last stage could be brought forward by a week to give F1 players some respite since the next race, in Miami, Florida, is scheduled for May 7.
To hope to stay at 24 races, F1 can count on a reservoir of contenders.
“There are many other countries that would like to host a Grand Prix. Tomorrow morning we could sign with seven or eight other countries,” F1 boss Stefano Domenicali recently said.
– With Louis Butcher, Le Journal de Montreal