The 2021 Formula 1 season is the longest ever – starting in Australia’s tight ‘bio-globe’ in March and finally ending in Abu Dhabi on 5 December
- The season kicks off on March 21 in the ‘F1 biosphere’ in Melbourne, Australia
- The British Grand Prix takes place a week later than usual, on July 18th
- Saudi Arabia is holding a race for the first time while there is still a race for a grip
- Vietnam will not take its race on April 25 with a European route likely to replace it
Next year’s Formula One season is the longest period in the sport’s history, with mammals 23 races held over more than eight months.
The 2021 calendar starts on March 21 at Albert Park in Melbourne, and will be held in an ‘F1 biosphere’ due to coronavirus regulations in Australia.
The British Grand Prix will be held on July 18 – a week longer than usual – while the season ends on December 5 at Yas Marina Circle in Abu Dhabi.
The 2021 F1 season is the longest ever, starting in a biosphere in Melbourne, Australia
The season ends on December 5, 2021 at Yas Marina Circle in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Lewis Hamilton will run into the eighth most prestigious tournament in the world but will need to play more Grands Prix than ever before.
The only unpaid date is April 25, previously allocated to the Vietnam Grand Prix in Hanoi.
But a new host country is needed and it is likely to come from one of the routes that filled the 2020 rescue calendar, which was largely based in Europe.
Turkey’s Istanbul Park, Portimao from Portugal and the Imola route in Italy are the main candidates to replace Vietnam in the calendar.
The ‘bubble’ that is starting the season is due to Australian coronavirus rules that state that all entrants must go through a 14-day quarantine period in a state Victoria, in the same way that players ahead of the Australian Open have gone through.
Lewis Hamilton needs to race in more Grands Prix than ever to win again in 2021
Saudi Arabia makes its F1 debut with a street race in Jeddah as the final major prix of the year on November 28th.
F1 has said it is confident it will be able to run a full calendar – but of course, it relies on too many pandemic coronavirus complications.
At 259 days in total, it’s 98 days longer than the abbreviated 2020 calendar – but it’s exactly the same number of days as the 2019 season, but with two more races.