Formula 1 could start its new season with back-to-back races in Bahrain if plans to hold the third round of the season in Portugal are thwarted by the pandemic.
The Autodromo do Algarve in Portugal is the favorite place for the third round yet to be confirmed on the 2021 F1 calendar. However, rising rates of Covid-19 infection have jeopardized the race date of 2 of May.
F1’s plans to compete in Portugal could be interrupted if new travel restrictions are introduced between the country and Great Britain, where most of the teams are located. Britain’s infection rate rose rapidly at the beginning of the year and is now falling following the introduction of another lockdown. The pandemic has also spread rapidly in the Iberian country again in recent weeks.
F1 has already moved pre-season testing to Bahrain following the postponement of the Australian Grand Prix, which turned the desert race into the first round of the 2021 season. If a second race is planned on the track, the series may return. to use the Outer Circuit that was put into service when Bahrain held two races at the end of last season.
The addition of a second race in Bahrain, a week after the season opener on March 28, would have other effects on the schedule. The Imola race on April 18 would likely be postponed a week to allow the teams sufficient travel time.
Details of the plan were first reported by Grand Prix Radio in the Netherlands. A Formula 1 spokesperson declined to comment when approached by ..
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