Formula 1 to hold 24 races in a season for the first time as FIA reveals record calendar for 2023, including debut Las Vegas GP and returning races in China and Qatar; Season starts with Bahrain GP on March 5 and finishes in Abu Dhabi on November 26
Wednesday 21 September 2022 06:18, UK
Formula 1 has revealed a record race calendar for 2023, with the sport set to hold 24 races in a season for the very first time.
Overhauling its largest-ever calendar by two races, the schedule for next season includes the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is on a Saturday night, and sees the return of the Chinese GP after a three-year absence.
The calendar was approved by the FIA and the World Motor Sport Council and revealed by F1's governing body on Tuesday.
Qatar also returns after making its debut in 2021 while Monaco retains its place on the calendar - in the middle of the first of two triple headers on the calendar - after doubts about a contract.
Making way for 2023 is the French GP, and a previously touted race in South Africa has not been included.
The season will start on March 5 in Bahrain, where pre-season testing is set to take place, and finish on November 26 in Abu Dhabi.
"We are excited to announce the 2023 calendar with 24 races around the world. Formula 1 has unprecedented demand to host races and it is important we get the balance right for the entire sport," Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said.
"We are very pleased with the strong momentum Formula 1 continues to experience and it is great news that we will be able to bring our passionate fans a mix of exciting new locations such as Las Vegas to the Championship with much loved venues across Europe, Asia and the Americas."
"The presence of 24 races on the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale," said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
"The addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA's sound stewardship of the sport."
Amid a boom in popularity worldwide, F1 and its American owners Liberty Media have been trying to up the calendar of races for some time. 2022 was due to be a 23-race season before the Russian GP was cancelled - but this is the first time the race calendar has ever risen to 24.
There are several oddities on the schedule. The first four races, for example, are all standalone events despite three of them taking place in Asia.
The season will then head on to an Azerbaijan-Miami double header, followed by an Imola-Monaco-Spain triple.
Canada is a standalone event, with F1 unable to pair the Montreal race and Miami together.
Hungary has vacated its usual pre-summer break position, with the Belgian GP at Spa to follow the Budapest race on July 30. The Dutch GP will therefore be the first race after the summer break.
There is then an Asian double header with Singapore and Japan before a standalone race in Qatar, which begins a 10-year contract and didn't have a 2022 race due to the FIFA World Cup, before the second triple-header takes place in USA, Mexico and Brazil.
After the Brazilian GP on November 5, there is a week's break before F1 heads to the Las Vegas strip for the first Saturday race since 1985.
That debut event is twinned with the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP.
An agreement has been finalised with the Automobile Club of Monaco (ACM) to continue to race on the famous streets of Monte-Carlo until 2025 inclusive, under a new three-year deal.
The race has been an important part of the Championship since the first there in 1950 and provides a unique challenge for all the drivers.
"I am pleased to confirm that we will be racing in Monaco until 2025 and excited to be back on the streets of this famous Principality for next year's Championship on May 28," Domenicali said.
"I want to thank everyone involved in this renewal and especially H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Michel Boeri, President of the Automobile Club of Monaco and all his team. We look forward to being back next season to continue our partnership together."
Michel Boeri, President of the Automobile Club of Monaco, added: "In the interest of the Formula One World Championship, and after several months of negotiations, we are proud to announce that we have signed a 3-year agreement with Formula One, and likely to be renewed. The 2023 Formula One Monaco Grand Prix will be held on Sunday 28th May, 2023."
