Australian GP now third on 2022 schedule

LONDON: Melbourne’s Albert Park grand prix, the traditional Formula One curtain raiser, has been pushed back to April 10 in a recordbreaking 23event calendar for 2022.

Australia has some of the strictest Covid19 travel restrictions in the world but F1 executives remain hopeful they will ease in time for the race to be held for the first time since 2019.

Canada, Singapore and Japan are also back on the schedule but Shanghai is again absent. A statement from F1 said that China would be ‘‘restored to the calendar as soon as conditions allow’’.

The 23 races are scheduled within a tight 36week period with seven backtoback races, two triple headers, and six races in seven whirlwind weeks following the August break.

Bahrain will host the opening round on March 20, with Abu Dhabi the stage for the concluding race exactly eight months later. The finish is three weeks earlier than this year’s to avoid a clash with the football World Cup in Qatar.

2022 Formula One calendar: Mar 20, Bahrain (Sakhir); Mar 27, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah); Apr 10, Australia (Melbourne); Apr 24, Emilia Romagna (Imola); May 8, Miami; May 22, Spain (Barcelona); May 29, Monaco; Jun 12, Azerbaijan (Baku); Jun 19, Canada (Montreal); Jul 3, Britain (Silverstone); Jul 10, Austria (Spielberg); Jul 24, France (Le Castellet); Jul 31, Hungary (Budapest); Aug 28, Belgium (SpaFrancorchamps); Sep 4, Netherlands (Zandvoort); Sep 11, Italy (Monza); Sep 25, Russia (Sochi); Oct 2, Singapore (Marina Bay; Oct 9, Japan (Suzuka); Oct 23, United States (Austin); Oct 30, Mexico (Mexico City); Nov 13, Brazil (Interlagos); Nov 20, Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina). — BPA