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F1 calendar keeps changing: 'Turkey in the picture as a replacement for Singapore'

F1 calendar keeps changing: 'Turkey in the picture as a replacement for Singapore'

08-06-2021 08:16 Last update: 08:39

GPblog.com

The Formula 1 calendar is going to be shaken up again with another cancellation. The Singapore Grand Prix was cancelled this weekend and that means more work for Stefano Domenicali and his team. Turkey is surprisingly high on the list to replace the Singapore race.

No GP in Singapore

Formula 1 wanted to return to a normal calendar in 2021, but it's clear by now that's not going to be easy. ''Planning is more difficult than last year because the rules around travel and the quarantine period keep changing,'' Domenicali told Auto, Motor und Sport.

Canada was the Grand Prix that really pulled the plug, but with Turkey, a replacement was quickly found. However, due to the rules in that country, the race could not take place there after all. Austria was the saviour, just like in 2020, with a second race at the Red Bull Ring. Now that Singapore has cancelled the race, Turkey is back in the picture according to Auto, Motor und Sport.

To Turkey after all

The GP in Singapore is only on October 3rd so there is a possibility that it will be held in Turkey. Logistically it is also very well justified because Singapore was the second race in a Triple Header together with Russia and Japan. According to AMuS there are also doubts about the GP in Japan, as is the case with the Olympic Games in that same country.

If the Olympic Games go ahead, there is a bigger chance for the GP. Should the GP not take place, AMuS points to Malaysia and China as possible replacements, but that doesn't mean that F1 is finished. The travel restrictions in Australia are still very strict and Brazil is no certainty with the emergence of a new mutant.

For these races, there are several possible replacements. A second Grand Prix in America is mentioned. That could mean a second race in Austin or the return to Indianapolis. An extra race in Bahrain would also be a good option. AMuS does not assume that Hockenheim and Nürburgring are options, as they do not seem to be willing to bring a GP to Germany.