By Matt Morlitz
Last Updated: 09/20/22 4:30 PM
Formula 1 has revealed a record-breaking race calendar for 2023, with the sport planning to hold 24 races in a season for the first time.
Revamping its longest calendar by two races, the schedule for next season includes the opening Grand Prix of Las Vegas, which is on 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 was revealed by F1’s governing body on Tuesday.
Qatar also return after making their debut in 2021, while Monaco retain their spot on the calendar – in the middle of the first of two triple headers on the calendar – following contract doubts.
The road to 2023 is the French GP and a previously advertised race in South Africa has not been included.
The season will begin on March 5 in Bahrain, where pre-season testing is scheduled to take place, and conclude 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 to get the balance right for the whole sport,” said Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1. .
“We are very pleased with the strong momentum that Formula 1 continues to experience and it is great news that we will be able to bring our passionate fans a combination of exciting new locations such as Las Vegas in the Championship with much-loved venues across Europe and Asia . and America”.
“The presence of 24 races on the FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar for 2023 is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale,” said FIA President Mohamed Ben Sulayem.
“The addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the good stewardship of the sport by the FIA.”
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Formula 1 chairman Stefano Domenicali joins David Croft and Karun Chandhok on commentary to discuss the 2023 calendar.
Formula 1 chairman Stefano Domenicali joins David Croft and Karun Chandhok on commentary to discuss the 2023 calendar.
The talking points from F1’s record-breaking calendar
Amid a boom in popularity worldwide, F1 and American owners Liberty Media have been trying to get the racing calendar up and running for some time. 2022 was set to be a 23-race season before the Russian GP was canceled – but this is the first time the race calendar has ever gone up to 24.
There are several oddities in the program. The first four races, for example, are all standalone, even though three of them take place in Asia.
The season will then continue with an Azerbaijan-Miami double-header, followed by an Imola-Monaco-Spain triple-header.
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Canada is a stand-alone event, with F1 unable to combine the Montreal and Miami races together.
Hungary has abandoned its usual pre-summer slot, with the Belgian GP at Spa following the Budapest race on July 30. The Dutch GP will therefore be the first race after the summer break.
Then there’s an Asian double-header with Singapore and Japan before a standalone match in Qatar, which kicks off a 10-year deal and has not had a match in 2022 due to the FIFA World Cup, before the second treble takes place in the US. , 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.
This first event is twinned with the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP.
