Formula 1 has officially confirmed it will not replace the cancelled Russian Grand Prix this season, which means that the 2022 F1 calendar will include only 22 events.
It was initially thought that the cancellation of the 15th round of the Formula 1 world championship at the Sochi Autodrome as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would be replaced with a different location and F1 bosses even said at that moment that it would not be difficult to find a replacement for end of September in order to keep the 23-race calendar which was initially scheduled for this season.
The Losail International Circuit in Qatar was seen as a good solution, while Hockenheim also confirmed its availability to discuss the possibility of hosting a German Grand Prix in 2022. Yet this was not possible due to logistical difficulties involving freight being transferred from Europe to Singapore, which is scheduled for the beginning of October and dismissed a European venue as a potential replacement for the Russian Grand Prix.
At the same time, financial reasons were also taken into consideration and excluded potential alternatives, as the Formula One Group now once again requested full franchise premiums after a two-year Covid-impacted period during which promoters received many benefits and discounts in order to be able to host a round of the Formula 1 world championship given the worldwide context.
Teams of course have nothing against this decion, as the calendar is already very busy the gap between the Italian Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix of a few weeks give teams a two-week break during a key moment of the Formula 1 season.
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