2021 F1 calendar cut to 22 races, Qatar set to fill in

A meeting took place between F1 officials and the teams in the Spa paddock on Saturday at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, where the plans were discussed and agreed upon.

The revisions come after recent cancellations of planned rounds in Japan and Australia due to ongoing concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the Belgian Grand Prix, F1 will visit the Netherlands, Italy and Russia as planned across September.

The first change sees the Turkish Grand Prix moved back by a week to fill the slot originally held for the cancelled Suzuka race.

Turkey was brought in as a replacement for Singapore’s cancelled round on October 3 but is now set to take place on October 10 to combat concerns over the country remaining on the UK’s travel red list. 

Mugello is believed to be on the list of potential alternatives should the Turkish GP end up being cancelled. 

Despite doubts over rounds in the US and Mexico, both races have been included on the revised schedule, though the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez race has moved from the last weekend of October to the first weekend of November.

The Sao Paulo GP has also been pushed back by a week until November 14, while there is a TBC race saved for the weekend of November 19-21.

It is understood that a new round at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar is being considered by F1 to fill the remaining vacant slot and form the final triple header of the season.

After a week’s gap, the 2021 season is set to conclude with a Saudi Arabia-Abu Dhabi double-header.

Despite losing a race, 22 rounds would still make 2021 the longest-ever season in F1’s history.

“We are very pleased to announce the updates to the 2021 calendar following extensive discussions with the promoters and national authorities,” said F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali.

"The pandemic continues to present the season with challenges but we have proven we can adapt and we are confident we can deliver a record breaking 22 races this year despite a global pandemic.”

“I want to thank the promoters in Brazil, Mexico and Turkey for their patience and flexibility and we will provide the details of the final addition soon.

“This season is proving to be an incredible battle on the track and this is hugely exciting for our fans around the world and we look forward to the intensity continuing in the races ahead.”