After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, Formula 1 announced the cancellation of the race in Sochi, scheduled for September 25, in addition to the termination of the grand prix contract in this country.
This has left a gap in the initial schedule of the Grand Circus of 23 events that the category intended to fill with the return of Qatar , which hosted its first appointment last year at the Losail International Circuit.
This Middle Eastern nation has signed a decade-long deal to host a Formula 1 race from 2023, taking a year off so it can host the FIFA World Cup . However, he emerged as the heavy favorite to replace the canceled event in Russia, which kicked off a treble with Singapore and Japan .
Now Motorsport.com has learned that organizers’ uncertainty over the event in Qatar has led to exploring other options, including holding two races in Singapore.
The idea has been discussed among the promoters of the Asian event, so there could probably be two consecutive weekends with a test on the urban layout of Marina Bay, one at sunset, and another completely conserving its nocturnal nature.
Something similar happened with the two grands prix that were held back-to-back in Bahrain in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when one started with the sun still on the horizon and the other started a few hours later the following Sunday.
Singapore hasn’t hosted a race since 2019, just before the start of this pandemic period, but has recently reopened for tourists, and plans are underway for it to return to F1 on October 2 this year. .
Formula 1 remains committed to ensuring compliance with its record schedule with 23 tests this year, so Singapore is running as a possible alternative to replace Russia in the event that an agreement with Qatar is not closed.
Another option would be to return to Bahrain to use the outer layout that was used at the end of 2020. One of Qatar’s biggest concerns to host this appointment without specifying would be the heat in the month of September, since it would be around 38º C during the average day.
But the fact that the race is held later would dissipate this around the temperatures, and it is something that has been discussed with the teams as being feasible. The 2021 appointment began at five in the afternoon local time, 15 minutes after sunset.
The proximity to the start of the soccer World Cup, scheduled for November 21 , would also mean that the grand prix could act as a warm-up for Qatar to organize this other great event.
