London: Formula One confirmed Tuesday that it will not replace the cancelled Chinese Grand Prix, leaving the 2023 season at what is still a record 23 races.
The race in Shanghai was canceled for the fourth straight year in December, when China had some of the toughest pandemic-related restrictions of any country. Those rules have since been relaxed and cases of COVID-19 in China have surged.
“Formula 1 can confirm the 2023 season will consist of 23 races. All existing race dates on the calendar remain unchanged,” F1 said in a brief statement.
The cancelled Chinese Grand Prix will not be replaced this year.
The Shanghai race was due to return in April for the first time since 2019.
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Countries such as Turkey and Portugal have stepped in as replacement F1 hosts when the last three seasons were affected by the pandemic.
A replacement race on the Chinese GP’s April 16 date, between Australia and Azerbaijan on the schedule could have made it difficult for teams to change their travel and transportation plans at relatively short notice.
There will now be a four-week break between the Australian GP on April 2 and the Azerbaijan GP April 30.
The decision to leave the Chinese slot empty means the season will have 23 races, one more than last year. Compared to 2022, races in Qatar and Las Vegas were added to the calendar and the French Grand Prix was cut.
AP