F1 confirms reduced 2022 calendar

Formula 1 has confirmed that the 2022 season calendar will now run at a reduced 22 races rather than 23, having been unable to find a suitable replacement for the cancelled Russian Grand Prix.

The race in Sochi had been penned in for the weekend of 23-25 September later this year, but was cancelled after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

F1 bosses had signalled their intention to try and keep a 23 race schedule, however, in what would have been a record-setting year in terms of Grands Prix held in one season.

Qatar was tipped as one venue, with the country set to be a more permanent fixture on the calendar from next season, whilst a back-to-back Singapore event was also touted given we are in the South East Asian nation just a week later in October anyway, but nothing has come to fruition.

And, with four months to go until the event, it’s now been decided to leave it blank – meaning we have a gap between the Italian Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix of a few weeks.

An F1 statement read on the official website:

“The 2022 Formula 1 calendar will now run to 22 races rather than the originally planned 23, following the decision not to replace the Russian Grand Prix.

“It was announced on February 25 that, following meetings between Formula 1, the FIA and the teams, the championship would not race at the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, which was set to be held on September 23-25.

“But it’s now been revealed that there will be no additional Grand Prix added to the calendar to fill the gap – meaning the 2022 calendar will run to 22 races.”