Chinese Grand Prix organisers are pushing for the race to be reinstated on the 2023 Formula 1 calendar.
The event in Shanghai was initially cancelled for a fourth straight year last month as the country maintained a strict zero Covid-19 policy.
But recent weeks have seen a rapid reopening of China to the world, with all quarantine measures set to be dropped for foreign visitors on January 8th.
As a result, RacingNews365 reports organisers and authorities want to use the Grand Prix as a symbol of China returning to normal by hosting its first major international sporting event since the Winter Olympics last year and has approached F1 about retaking its original April date.
Many hurdles remain in place, however, as F1 was believed to be closing in on a deal with Portimao to take over the fourth race slot.
Then there’s the ongoing explosion in Covid infections in China which has led some countries, including key F1 hubs in Britain and Italy, to impose measures on visitors.
This has been met with anger from Chinese officials who see them as merely political and threatened reciprocal measures on those countries.
Finally, there are questions over the readiness of Shanghai to host a race in just over three months with the circuit requiring a full FIA inspection to be granted its Grade 1 status and the re-training of marshals.
The Chinese Grand Prix was last held in 2019 – when F1 celebrated its 1000th race – and its reinstatement would mark a first home race for Zhou Guanyu, the country’s first F1 race driver and a native of Shanghai.