Vietnam’s first Method One Grand Prix in Hanoi, cancelled this yr because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is not going to be held in 2021 both as a consequence of native points, the BBC and sources reported on Monday.
The BBC mentioned the transfer adopted the arrest in August of Hanoi Individuals’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Chung. A supply with data of subsequent yr’s calendar confirmed to Reuters that the race was not listed.
Method One mentioned the draft schedule could be issued on Tuesday.
The calendar will nonetheless should be accepted by the governing FIA’s World Motor Sport Council, often a formality.
One confirmed new vacation spot is Saudi Arabia, as a consequence of host a race for the primary time in Jeddah in November.
The calendar may nonetheless stretch to a document 23 rounds, regardless of the absence of Vietnam, with the return of among the circuits used this yr to patch gaps left by cancellations because of the pandemic.
Portugal’s Algarve circuit, Imola in Italy and Turkey’s Istanbul monitor could be the main contenders to take Vietnam’s April 25 slot.
Brazil can be set to stay on the calendar, regardless of earlier doubts, with South America’s solely race returning to Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit in November quite than one but to be inbuilt Rio de Janeiro.
The Rio circuit is controversial for environmental causes and work has but to start out on it.
The calendar will in any other case see the return of races cancelled this yr, together with the Dutch circuit of Zandvoort which final hosted a race in 1985 and would comply with on from Belgium’s Spa in September.
The season is about to start out with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 21.
Method One is hoping to permit followers again at circuits after racing this yr behind closed doorways or with very restricted attendance.
