Earlier this year, F1 made the decision to cancel their outing in Russia after the country started a war in neighboring Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves throughout the entire world. Even within the sporting community, it was a widely condemned move and several athletes, teams and organizations made their anti-war sentiments absolutely clear.
Sebastian Vettel was the first F1 driver to state that he won’t be taking part in the Russian GP if it goes ahead. Other drivers soon joined him in his stance, and it wasn’t long before the governing body made the decision to scrap the outing in Sochi altogether.
2022 was supposed to be a record breaking year for F1. With 23 races in the original calendar, it was going to be the most number of Grand Prix races in one F1 season. However, Russia’s removal from the list sparked doubts regarding the same.
There were rumors about tracks like Sepang, Hockenheim, Mugello or Istanbul replacing Sochi. Despite these rumors, F1 announced on Wednesday that no race would replace the 2022 Russian Grand Prix.
F1 fans wanted other tracks to replace Sochi in the 2022 calendar
There will now be just 22 races in the 2022 calendar. With five rounds already over, fans have 17 more weekends of F1 action to look forward to this campaign. However, we won’t see the sport break the record by having 23 races in one season.
Some fans feel that it’s a good call, since drivers and teams will get more rest. 23 races in one season is hectic for the teams, so having even one weekend off seems like a good call.
On the other hand, prospects of having tracks like Sepang and Hockenheim returning were appealing to the vast majority. The decision to not replace the Russian GP with one of those tracks have left plenty disappointed.
The next round of F1 racing takes place this weekends. All ten teams and their drivers travel to the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona for the Spanish GP.
