Turkey returns, China off 17-race F1 schedule

LONDON • Formula One fleshed out this year's calendar to 17 races yesterday, with the Chinese Grand Prix cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Turkey back on for the first time since 2011 and Bahrain handed two rounds.

The motor sport said in a statement that the Istanbul Park circuit would host a race on Nov 15 before a Bahrain double-header - one of the races has been named the Sakhir Grand Prix - in late November and early December.

The season will end in Abu Dhabi on Dec 13 at Yas Marina.

F1 added a limited number of fans will be able to attend some of the later grands prix, with hospitality to be provided, but gave no further details, although Russian GP organisers are already selling tickets for their race in Sochi on Sept 27.

All six races have so far been held behind closed doors due to the pandemic.

Formula One had confirmed only 13 races until yesterday, all of them in Europe after those in the Americas and Asia were axed, but teams and drivers now have a clear idea of how many the championship will have. A minimum of eight races must be staged for a championship to be valid.

The original schedule, published before the pandemic, envisaged a record 22 grands prix, but fixtures such as Monaco and Singapore had to be cancelled, with a new calendar drawn up featuring a mix of old favourites and new venues.

The Shanghai race had looked doubtful after Chinese authorities earlier this year banned the hosting of most major sporting events to focus on battling the virus. The first Vietnamese Grand Prix, postponed from April, will not be happening either, with Sky Sports yesterday saying it will be called off.

"Sadly, we will not be racing in China this season," F1 said, adding that it looked forward to returning next year.

Istanbul will be the only race this year that could be considered a non-European or Middle Eastern round, since the circuit is on the Asian side of the city. While popular with drivers, the locals never had the same affection for the Turkish Grand Prix due to overpriced tickets.

In 2009, 36,000 three-day tickets were sold, despite the venue having a capacity for 130,000 people, leading former Red Bull driver Mark Webber to complain that they were "too expensive".

However, F1 commentator David Croft has backed the decision to return to Istanbul, tweeting "it was a shame F1 stopped racing there".

The current drivers who had won there are Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

On Istanbul, Renault driver Esteban Ocon, 23, said recently: "It's an old-school circuit, something I watched on TV when I was younger. (That) massive left-hander, flat-out, is going to be pretty impressive."

REUTERS