F1: China returns to grand prix calendar, Las Vegas added, Monaco reprieved – full list revealed
- Chinese Grand Prix planned for Shanghai next April as governing body the FIA announces record 24-race calendar
- Las Vegas to make its debut in November 2023, while Monaco is retained for three more years
The Chinese Grand Prix is set to return in 2023 after Formula One’s governing body reinstated it to the calendar.
Shanghai will again be the venue when the race makes a comeback next April following a three-year absence – provided that the country’s Covid-19 restrictions allow.
Sporting events in China have largely ground to a halt because of strict border restrictions and regular lockdowns of entire cities to contain Covid-19 cases. Football’s Chinese Super League has been delayed and disrupted, while the Asian Games in Hangzhou, scheduled for this month, were postponed by a year.
Those question marks notwithstanding, the new F1 calendar raises the prospect of Zhou Guanyu driving in front of his home fans for the first time.
Next year’s calendar, freshly announced by governing the FIA, contains a record 24 races.
They include an eye-catching debut for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, while the glamour of Monaco – whose future on the race list had been thought to be under threat – is to feature for a further three years.
First held in 1929 and almost ever-present since forming part of the first F1 championship in 1950, Monaco has kept its usual slot in May, sandwiched between Imola and Barcelona.
The British Grand Prix, at Silverstone in July, is the second in a run of six consecutive European stops that also spans the summer break in August. France’s race has been dropped, but Belgium’s presence has been extended by a year.
This season was cut to 22 races when the grand prix in Russia was removed after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The floodlit grand prix in Vegas in November 2023 will be the season’s penultimate round and gives the United States its third race.
“The Las Vegas Grand Prix is going to take F1 race weekends to the next level,” said Formula One’s chief executive Stefano Domenicali. “The entire city is buzzing with excitement for next year’s race.”
A track along the Las Vegas Strip will pass landmarks such as the Bellagio Fountains and Caesars Palace at an event that is expected to attract 170,000 spectators. It will be the first race to be held on a Saturday since 1985.
Visits to the Middle East will again bookend the season, with round one on March 5 heading back to Bahrain and the curtain being brought down on November 26 in Abu Dhabi.
There is also a reinstated Qatar round, after it skipped a year because of hosting the football World Cup. It follows September’s stops in Singapore and Japan.
Domenicali said that there was “unprecedented demand to host races and it is important we get the balance right for the entire sport”.
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“We are very pleased with the strong momentum Formula One continues to experience and it is great news that we will be able to bring our passionate fans a mix of exciting new locations such as Las Vegas to the championship with much-loved venues across Europe, Asia and the Americas,” he said.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the calendar had been designed to avoid a clash with the 100th staging of the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race on June 10 to 11.
He added: “The presence of 24 races on the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale.”
Additional reporting by Reuters
2023 Formula One calendar
March 5 – Bahrain
March 19 – Saudi Arabia (Jeddah)
April 2 – Australia (Melbourne)
April 16 – China (Shanghai)
April 30 – Azerbaijan (Baku)
May 7 – Miami
May 21 – Emilia Romagna (Imola)
May 28 – Monaco
June 4 – Spain (Barcelona)
June 18 – Canada (Montreal)
July 2 – Austria (Spielberg)
July 9 – Britain (Silverstone)
July 23 – Hungary
July 30 – Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
Aug 27 – Netherlands (Zandvoort)
Sept 3 – Italy (Monza)
Sept 17 – Singapore
Sept 24 – Japan (Suzuka)
Oct 8 – Qatar
Oct 22 – United States (Austin)
Oct 29 – Mexico
Nov 5 – Brazil (Interlagos)
Nov 18 – Las Vegas
Nov 26 – Abu Dhabi
