Formula 1 has confirmed the dates for a revised 22-race calendar for the remainder of 2021.
The schedule has faced fresh hurdles due to UK red list travel restrictions, requiring a mandatory quarantine period for travellers arriving in the country from designated Covid-19 hotspots.
As a result, races in Turkey, Mexico and Brazil were seen as most at risk of being cancelled as those countries are currently included on the red list.
But all three have been included in the final 10-race calendar which begins at the Dutch Grand Prix next weekend and ends in Abu Dhabi on December 12.
Their dates have been tweaked however, with Istanbul pushed back a week to October 8-10 and a two-week break now either side of the US Grand Prix in Austin on October 22-24.
Mexico and Brazil follow on November 7 and 14, forming a tripleheader with what is expected to be the first F1 race in Qatar on November 21, albeit still unconfirmed.
The inaugural Saudi Arabian GP and Abu Dhabi finale are unchanged on December 5 and 12 respectively.
A 22-race schedule is one fewer than F1 was hoping to have in 2021, but still represents the most Grands Prix in a single season.
And CEO Stefano Domenicali was rightly proud to reach that achievement in a time of Covid.
“We are very pleased to announce the updates to the 2021 calendar following extensive discussions with the promoters and national authorities,” he commented.
“The pandemic continues to present the season with challenges but we have proven we can adapt and we are confident we can deliver a record-breaking 22 races this year despite a global pandemic.
“I want to thank the promoters in Brazil, Mexico and Turkey for their patience and flexibility and we will provide the details of the final addition soon.
“This season is proving to be an incredible battle on the track and this is hugely exciting for our fans around the world and we look forward to the intensity continuing in the races ahead.”
