23 GPs plus 7 sprint races: F1 confirms packed 2022 calendar

F1

F1 has confirmed a record-breaking 23-race calendar in 2022, which features the new Miami circuit, two triple headers and 7-8 sprint races

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New Miami circuit joins the F1 calendar for 2022

Formula 1 will once more attempt a 23-race season next year, as it expands the 2022 calendar with a new grand prix and more sprint qualifying races.

A new generation of cars, built to regulations that should bring closer racing, will face the most gruelling season in the series’ history, all crammed into eight months.

The record-breaking number of races were approved this afternoon at the FIA World Motor Sport Council, which is responsible for international motor racing.

A new Miami circuit will host its first race in 2022 and we should see the return of Albert Park, Suzuka and Montreal after two absent years during the Covid pandemic. However China is not on the calendar; a sign that international travel is not yet back to normal.

Triple headers, which were initially mooted as a temporary measure, are still on the schedule, with races happening on three consecutive weekends twice during the season

There will be more sprint qualifying races too: Stefano Domenicali, F1’s CEO has already said that they are planned at a third of 2022 races, with the location of the seven or eight sprints not yet confirmed.

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This year’s calendar has been reduced to 22 grands prix due to Covid, but F1 is confident that it will get through all 23 next year, finishing in November to avoid clashing with the football World Cup in Qatar.

But the increased workload will heap more demands on team members who face even longer away from home after years of an expanding calendar. AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has said that staff members who aren’t happy with the growing workload should leave F1, but others are concerned about losing valuable staff.

Bahrain gives the start of the season a new look, followed by Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah street circuit, which will host its two races in the space of four months — it will host the first Saudi GP in December.

Melbourne has been given more time to relax pandemic restrictions, foregoing its usual season-opening slot for the third race of the season, in April. There’s then a brief return to Europe and Imola (still hosting the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix) before next year’s new circuit in Miami takes its bow.

That leads in to a more familiar look to the year, as Monaco follows Barcelona before the paddock heads to Azerbaijan and then Canada.

F1 2022 calendar

Set aside the first weekend of July for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone; the first of four European races that month before teams take a rest over the summer break.

They’ll need to recharge their batteries because they are straight back in to a SpaZandvoortMonza triple header. A two-week break and it’s back on the treadmill for the sssecond alphabetically-aligned triple header of Sochi, Singapore and then Suzuka.

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The end of October brings a dash to get the championship complete before attention turns to football, so F1’s planes will be jetting to Texas, Mexico City and Sao Paulo ahead of the season close in Abu Dhabi.

“We are excited to announce the 2022 calendar as we prepare to enter a new era for the sport with brand new regulations and cars for next year that are designed to create closer racing,” said Domenicali.

“This season has been incredible so far with great battles on the track, large audiences tuning in and fans returning to the races after the impact of the pandemic.

“We look forward to welcoming more fans back next season and hope 2022 feels more normal than the life we have all experienced in the past two years.

“The pandemic is still with us, and we will continue to be vigilant and safe — to protect all our personnel and the communities we visit.”

 

2022 Formula 1 season calendar

Date Grand Prix Location
20 March Bahrain Sakhir
27 March Saudi Arabia Jeddah
10 April Australia Albert Park
24 April Emilia Romagna Imola
8 May Miami Miami
22 May Spain Barcelona
29 May Monaco Monaco
12 June Azerbaijan Baku
19 June Canada Montreal
3 July United Kingdom Silverstone
10 July Austria Red Bull Ring
24 July France Paul Ricard
31 July Hungary Hungaroring
28 August Belgium Spa
4 September Netherlands Zandvoort
11 September Italy Monza
25 September Russia Sochi
2 October Singapore Marina Bay
9 October Japan Suzuka
23 October USA Circuit of the Americas
30 October Mexico Mexico City
13 November Brazil Interlagos
20 November Abu Dhabi Yas Marina