Since the arrival of the pandemic in 2020, Formula 1 has always had to make changes to the calendar in progress. 2020 was a peculiar station, followed by a return to "normal" in 2021, with five rounds being cancelled. 2022 saw the removal of the Russian Grand Prix, and the exclusion of China due to restrictions. Just the Shanghai Circuit had been reintroduced for the 2023, but according to the latest rumors it seems that the chinese round is destined to be again eliminated.
The last round disputed: China 2019, the thousandth Formula 1 GP
The last race held at the Shanghai International Circuit dates back to 2019. On that occasion we remember the victory of Valtteri Bottas in Mercedes, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel on the podium. It was a race with few emotions, but which remains in the annals of Formula 1 as the number 1000. Mercedes, in 2019, came to get five one-two finishes in the first five races and a streak of eight consecutive victories, riding strides towards the victory of the world title number six for Hamilton and the Brixworth team.
Since then, no Formula 1 car has trod the Shanghai circuit, despite the arrival in the open-wheel top series of the first Chinese representative at the wheel, namely Zhou Guangyu. The Chinese, back from a good first season in Formula 1 with three points finishes and a best finish in eighth position, would certainly have liked to be able to race at home with the enormous support of his fans, but it is extremely probable that such an event will be postponed again by a year, until 2024. At the moment no type of replacement is expected on the calendar, with the number of races falling to 23 and with a gap between April 2, the date of the race in Australia, and on the 30th, in Azerbaijan. We'll see if the calendar will be modified to cover an absence of about a month.
