Formula 1 is scheduled to return to China next season, with Shanghai included on the sport’s just released record 24-race 2024 calendar.
The round in China fell off F1’s schedule after 2019 due to the onslaught of the Covid pandemic. But with the country’s crisis now in the rear view mirror, F1 will return to Shanghai next April.
In building its calendar for next season, F1 has finally followed a logistical approach that makes sense in terms of sustainability and that will hopefully lessen the strain on teams, although a 24-race programme will remain a heavy burden to bear for crews.
The season will kick off in March with a Bahrain/Saudi Arabia double header. However, both events will take place on Saturday night, a schedule that takes into account the start of the Ramadan on March 10, the day after Jeddah.
F1 has wisely grouped Australia at the end of March, with Japan and China in April, with two weeks separating all three races.
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Thereafter, teams will endure a long haul to Miami, before traveling back to Europe for two races on the continent – Imola and Monaco – and then returning to North America for the Canadian Grand Prix.
On Jun 23, Spain will kick off in earnest F1’s European season, with seven races unfolding over the summer, including one triple-header and two double-headers.
Azerbaijan has been pushed back next year to mid-September and grouped with Singapore, while Austin, Mexico and Brazil will constitute the penultimate triple header of the season, with Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabu rounding off the year.
"Our journey to a more sustainable calendar will continue in the coming years as we further streamline operations as part of our Net Zero 2030 commitment,” commented F1 boss Stefano Domenicali.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: "We want to make the global spectacle of Formula 1 more efficient in terms of environmental sustainability and more manageable for the travelling staff who dedicate so much of their time to our sport."
Pre-season testing has been tentatively scheduled to take place in Bahrain on 21-23 February but the dates are still subject to approval from the FIA’s World Motorsport Council.
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