The 23-race schedule for the 2021 Formula 1 season has been ratified for the FIA, as the sport aims to return to racing around the globe after events restricted to Europe and Middle East this year due to coronavirus; next season starts in Australia on March 21
Thursday 17 December 2020 12:43, UK
A 23-race Formula 1 season - the longest in the sport's 71-year history - has been confirmed by the FIA for 2021.
Ratifying the provisional calendar released by F1 last month, the fourth round of the season - originally meant to be Vietnam before the Hanoi event was dropped - remains unconfirmed.
Portugal is among the venues strongly thought to be in the running to fill the slot on April 25.
F1 is confident of returning to a more 'normal' schedule for next year after the coronavirus pandemic saw the 2020 season reduced to 17 rounds in Europe and the Middle East.
The sport's usual events in Australia, the Americas and Asia are all scheduled to return - along with a debut on a new street track in Saudi Arabia.
F1 are planning for fans able to return to events next year after a handful of 2021 events ran with small controlled crowds in the latter stages of this revamped season.
Chase Carey, F1's chairman, said last month: "We have proven that we can safely travel and operate our races and our promoters increasingly recognise the need to move forward and manage the virus. In fact, many hosts actually want to use our event as a platform to show the world they are moving forward.
Australia, the sport's traditional season opener, will open the new campaign on March 21 after being called off this year due to the pandemic.
The Melbourne event will be followed a week later by Bahrain, which returns to its usual early slot in the calendar after being moved to later this month as part of 2020's revamped roster, and then a two-week gap to China.
The British GP at Silverstone is scheduled for July 18 and avoids clashes with both Wimbledon and Euro 2020.
After an extra year's wait, the much-anticipated return of the Dutch GP at Zandvoort will now take place at the end of the summer in early September, a week after Spa-Francorchamps in neighbouring Belgium.
Belgium and the Netherlands join with Italy to form the first of two consecutive triple headers. Russia, Singapore and Japan are also placed together on consecutive weekends.
With the American events back on the planned schedule, Brazil's popular Interlagos has signed a new five-year deal and will run under the Sao Paulo GP name.
As previously announced, a new night race in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah will make its debut on November 28.
The night-time event will form a season-ending double header with Abu Dhabi, which will close the year on December 5.
The 2020 campaign was originally scheduled to run to 22 events. The longest F1 season to date is 21 rounds.
2021 F1 calendar
March 21 - Australia (Melbourne)
March 28 - Bahrain (Sakhir)
April 11 - China (Shanghai)
April 25 - TBC (TBC)
May 9 - Spain (Barcelona)**
May 23 - Monaco (Monaco)
June 6 - Azerbaijan (Baku)
June 13 - Canada (Montreal)
June 27 - France (Le Castellet)
July 4 - Austria (Spielberg)
July 18 - United Kingdom (Silverstone)
August 1 - Hungary (Budapest)
August 29 - Belgium (Spa)
September 5 - Netherlands (Zandvoort)
September 12 - Italy (Monza)
September 26 - Russia (Sochi)
October 3 - Singapore (Singapore)
October 10 - Japan (Suzuka)
October 24 - USA (Austin)
October 31 - Mexico (Mexico City)
November 14 - Brazil (Sao Paulo)*
November 28 - Saudi Arabia (Jeddah)
December 5 - Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi)
*Subject to circuit homologation
**Subject to promoter agreement
