China’s first-ever Formula 1 driver, Zhou Guanyu, is looking increasingly likely to be treating the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix as his home race for the second consecutive season, with the 2023 Chinese Grand Prix set to be cancelled.
It’s been speculated for a while now that the Chinese GP would be scrapped for a third season, as a result of China’s incredibly strict ‘covid-zero’ approach.
The Shanghai International Circuit hasn’t hosted an F1 event since 2019, with the Coronavirus pandemic having put a large dent in China’s sporting calendar.
Large parts of China are actually being put back into lockdown, following record cases across parts of the country.
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Shanghai was in a lengthy lockdown period itself in 2022, where it entered a lockdown in April.
It comes as a huge disappointment for Zhou who’s wait for a real home race looks set to continue; however, he’s the first person who’ll admit that the race was likely to be a “race against time”.
“When I saw it was April, I knew it was going to be a race against time to make sure everything was ok,” said Zhou.
“Because with the covid restrictions in China, you always have to quarantine so that will complicate things a lot.”
Despite the high likelihood that the race will be cancelled imminently, Formula 1 continues to suggest that nothing has been decided just yet.
The BBC have also claimed that the race won’t be able to happen under the country’s current policy, perhaps making some wonder why F1 aren’t making a rapid decision.
The sport are monitoring the situation in China before making a final decision, it is believed, though, that should the Chinese GP be cancelled as reported, it won’t be replaced by another venue.
It means the 2023 calendar will be 23 rounds, not 24, perhaps coming as a small relief to all the teams and F1 personnel, with the 22-round season in 2022 having taken its toll on many.
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F1 released a statement over the current situation in China and that until a cancellation is announced, it will be “included in the 2023 calendar”.
“We continue to monitor the covid situation in China and maintain a close dialogue with the promoter and the authorities,” a spokesperson said.
“China has been included in the 2023 calendar and, until we announce otherwise, this remains the case.”