May 18, (THEWILL) – Formula One has decided not to hold a new event on September 25 to replace the cancelled Russian Grand Prix, leaving the 2022 schedule with 22 races instead of the regular 23.
The decision leaves a two-weekend gap between the finish of the European season on September 11 in Monza and the start of the six-race flyaway series in Singapore on October 2.
THEWILL recalls that shortly after the Russian invasion on Ukraine began, the Sochi event was cancelled, along with the event’s ongoing contract. In the aftermath, F1 began exploring alternate locations in order to retain the overall number of events this year.
Qatar, which hosted a race last year at the Doha track and will return to the schedule in 2023, was an early contender. However, due to its commitment to the FIFA World Cup, it had planned to skip this year.
Finally, none of the options that were considered met the criteria, and F1 decided not to hold a 23rd event. The confirmation will be welcomed by the teams, who are facing the difficulty of staying under budget while constructing fresh new vehicles in the midst of an already tight timetable.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
