Zak Brown does not believe the Chinese Grand Prix should be replaced unless the right race can be found to fill the void in the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar.
For the fourth consecutive year, the race at the Shanghai International Circuit has been removed from the Formula 1 schedule due to the COVID-19 regulations in China, with restrictions on positive cases meaning it would have been difficult for the sport to come to the country.
The last Chinese Grand Prix was held prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 back in 2019 when it hosted the sports one thousandth Grand Prix, and in the announcement made last month about it’s 2023 cancellation, the statement from Formula 1 said: “Formula 1 is assessing alternative options to replace the slot on the 2023 calendar and will provide an update on this in due course.”
The Portuguese Grand Prix at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve and the Turkish Grand Prix at Intercity Istanbul Park – both tracks held races in 2020 and 2021 as replacement races for cancelled events – have been touted as replacement venues, whilst some are calling for the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit to return to the calendar for the first time since the 2017 season.
Whilst Brown, the CEO of the McLaren F1 Team, says that the cancellation of the Chinese race is a shame, Formula 1 would be wise to ensure any replacement venue is suitable for the championship and any race should be brought in not just to fill the gap.
“We shouldn’t just fill it for the sake of filling it,” said Brown to Sky Sports. “It’s a shame we’re not going back to China. I think it’s an important market.
“Hopefully they’ll get all their Covid-related stuff sorted out, because I understand that’s the problem, and go back there in ’24.”