La Formula 1 has decided to do not replace the Russian stage of Sochi, canceled il 25 February 2022 following the Russian military invasion in Ukraine, then remained in "expectation” of a candidacy, to date, the date on which the joint decision of FIA e F1 not to proceed with any substitution. Schedule 2022 therefore misses an appointment and drops from 23 to 22 races.
Even with the loss of Sochi, that of the “new era” of Formula 1 however, it remains the longest calendar of its existence, born from the need to restart the whole ecosystem after the severe financial blow due to the arrest of the racing world caused by the Covid-19. The public, now back in attendance at full capacity, is showing appreciation for such a vast championship, and the effort of Liberty Medium to bring the Circus in much of the world.
The alternatives
La Formula 1 he immediately began looking for alternative stops in an effort to maintain his yearly goal of 23 events. But what are the options that have been explored?
This year the championship, just to avoid a concurrence FIFA World Cup in Qatar, will end exceptionally a November. This forced the Formula 1 to find a rather binding joint.
One of the first names was just the Qatar, a country that hosted the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2021, on the Doha circuit and which will return to the calendar from 2023 – given its commitment to hosting the world championships. Among the problems, however, in addition to the few months of gap with preparation for the world championship, there were also concerns about the particularly sultry climate and the potential impact on the public.
The stage in Russia, scheduled for the 25 September 2022 was placed between Monza (September 9-11) e Singapore (September 30 – October 2). Precisely for this reason, also in view of the logistical problems associated with a back-to-back between Europe e Asia – which made it possible to discard hypotheses such as Hockenheim – one of the alternatives considered was that of a double appointment at Singapore, absent from the calendar since 2019. However, given the general level of inflation worldwide and the dramatic increase in transport costs, the costs would not have been justifiable according to Formula 1, who therefore decided to give up the 23 races.
Even the teams say yes
Choice also shared by the 10 teams, which, strongly influenced by the imprint of budget cap between crashes and the development of the brand new cars, they can find some extra time to catch their breath from what will be race after race a very tight and hectic schedule.
The updated calendar
Source: Autosport.com
