While changing circumstances may require flexibility, the FIA and Formula 1 are working at all levels from government to local organization to ensure that the calendar goes ahead as planned.” “Robust COVID-19 protocols enabled Formula 1 to run 17 events in 2020 and will enable us to run a World Championship again in 2021. The final agreement is still subject to contract with the promoter. “It is the intention of Formula 1 to fill the position with a race in Portugal on the dates already held in the calendar. “The group was updated on the ‘TBC’ space on the current version of the 2021 calendar,” an FIA statement read.

With the races scheduled for early May, the hope is that the quarantine situation will have eased by that time. At present, quarantine regulations demand anyone arriving in the United Kingdom from Portugal must quarantine in specific hotels for 10 days.ĭespite that, the F1 Commission has now approved the race in Portugal, with those involved in executing the event potentially able to travel directly to Spain for the following round and not return to the UK over a week later. Portimao was always planned to be the third race - having hosted a race last year and with a convenient location to pair with Barcelona - but the ongoing COVID-19 situation in Europe had cast doubt on its viability. Following further calendar reshuffling, that event was moved to the weekend before the Spanish Grand Prix on May 2, following an opening round in Bahrain and then return to Imola. When F1 announced its 2021 calendar, the absence of Vietnam led to a vacant slot that was simply marked as TBC.

It’s clear F1 has a number of options and combinations it can work with to ensure it meets its target of 23 rounds this year as it’s keen to avoid a repeat of 2020 when it held just 17 races – albeit an impressive feat given the situation.The third round of the 2021 season is set to take place in Portugal after approval from the F1 Commission for the “to be confirmed” event. Qatar has approached F1 about hosting a race this year – in fact the country has made several approaches in previous years, only to be rejected given its close proximity to both Bahrain and the UAE.īut with the unprecedented situation, the proposal has been given serious consideration and remains another option. This is being considered as an alternative to the COTA double-header in place of Brazil, which would allow the race to take place on November 14, forming a Middle-Eastern triple-header finale, with Saudi Arabia followed by Abu Dhabi.Ī new venue, at least for F1, could be used instead of a return to Bahrain, which opened the 2021 season.

Is that the first hint that a second US GP might happen?Ī second race in Bahrain is also on that reserve list and it would likely use the ‘Outer Loop’ layout which made its debut last year. It could potentially replace the Japanese GP and take place on October 17, or alternatively both races could be pushed back to November, with Brazil and Mexico taking place as back-to-back events in October, with a week gap before the COTA double-header.ĬOTA boss Bobby Epstein recently teased a major headline act for its grand prix weekend music concert, and it was confirmed that the Rolling Stones will play a concert at the circuit on November 20.

Yet it’s expected other races will fall off the calendar, with Japan, Brazil and Mexico all at risk.į1 has drawn up a ‘reserve list’ of races which can take their place at short notice, with a second round at the Circuit of the Americas mooted as likely. Whilst Turkey and a second race in Austria have filled those voids, the calendar remains one race shy of 23 rounds, pending what happens with China. The Formula 1 calendar could undergo a major shake-up in the second half of the 2021 season owing to the ongoing pandemic, with a number of races still uncertain.į1 bosses are pushing ahead with plans to hold 23 grands prix this year, but those plans have already been scuppered on a number of occasions with China’s race postponed and Singapore and Australia both cancelling their races.

F1 2021 calendar