Vietnam Grand Prix has been dropped from the published 2021 Formula One calendar, which sees several races return after being cancelled in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Vietnam GP was set to be held between 23-25 April on a street circuit in Hanoi but following the arrest of Nguyen Duc Chung, Hanoi People’s Committee Chairman on alleged corruption charges, with Chung having been a key official in the introduction of the race.
It is understood that Vietnam authorities have informed F1 that their priorities lie elsewhere with elections on top of dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic plus recovering from a typhoon, although a maiden visit hasn’t been out for 2022 or beyond yet.
That race therefore has been left blank as F1 organisers seek to find a replacement race for that weekend in the calendar with Mugello and Portimao likely to be amongst contenders to step in if the race is replaced, which would create a record 23 race calendar.
The season will commence with the returning Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia, across weekend of 19-21 March providing that the pandemic doesn’t worsen prior to the event, before F1 visit Bahrain a week later from 26-28 March.
China, Monaco, Azerbaijan, Canada, France, Singapore, Japan, USA, Mexico and Brazil are also all expected to return to the calendar throughout next season depending on how the pandemic situation is in each individual country closer to each event.
Canadian, French and Austrian Grand Prix weekends will however overlap with rescheduled Euro 2020 match dates but none of the racing action across latter two race weekends will overlap with any matches, whereas Canada will see Second Practice and race clash with Italy and Netherlands’ matches against Turkey and Ukraine respectively whilst FP3 and Qualifying could potentially avoid clashes depending on timeslots.
British Grand Prix will be held on 18 July at Silverstone to avoid clashing with Wimbledon’s Men Singles Final plus the delayed Euro 2020 Final on 11 July, although it will instead overlap with The Open Championships which take place at Royal St George’s Golf Club, Kent, that same weekend.
Dutch Grand Prix has moved from its initial May slot of this season’s original calendar to 3-5 September 2021 as part of the first triple header in-between Belgian and Italian Grands Prix before F1 visits Russia, Singapore and Japan in a second triple header from 24 September to 10 October.
Brazilian GP is set to remain at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace subject to a new contract being agreed due to their current contract expiring at end of season, amidst rumours of the race moving to a new circuit in Deodoro, Rio de Janiero which is yet to be built subject to environmental concerns.
Saudi Arabia will make its F1 bow under the ‘Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’ banner across weekend of 26-28 November as a night-time street circuit event in Jeddah, forming the penultimate event of the season which climaxes on 5 December in Abu Dhabi.
2021 F1 Calendar
| Round | Race | Circuit | Date |
| 1 | Australian Grand Prix | Albert Park Circuit | 19-21 March |
| 2 | Bahrain Grand Prix | Bahrain International Circuit | 26-28 March |
| 3 | Chinese Grand Prix | Shanghai International Circuit | 9-11 April |
| 4 | TBC | TBC | 23-25 April |
| 5 | Spanish Grand Prix | Circuit de Catalunya | 7-9 May |
| 6 | Monaco Grand Prix | Circuit de Monaco | 20-23 May |
| 7 | Azerbaijan Grand Prix | Baku City Circuit | 4-6 June |
| 8 | Canadian Grand Prix | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve | 11-13 June |
| 9 | French Grand Prix | Circuit PauL Ricard | 25-27 June |
| 10 | Austrian Grand Prix | Red Bull Ring | 2-4 July |
| 11 | British Grand Prix | Silverstone | 17-18 July |
| 12 | Hungarian Grand Prix | Hungaroring | 30 July – 1 August |
| 13 | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa Francorchamps | 27-29 August |
| 14 | Dutch Grand Prix | Zandvoort Circuit | 3-5 September |
| 15 | Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | 10-12 September |
| 16 | Russian Grand Prix | Sochi Autodrom | 24-26 September |
| 17 | Singapore Grand Prix | Marina Bay Street Circuit | 1-3 October |
| 18 | Japanese Grand Prix | Suzuka | 8-10 October |
| 19 | USA Grand Prix | Circuit of the Americas | 22-24 October |
| 20 | Mexican Grand Prix | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez | 29-31 October |
| 21 | Brazilian Grand Prix | Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace* | 12-14 November |
| 22 | Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Jeddah | 26-28 November |
| 23 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Yas Marina Circuit | 3-5 December |
* Brazilian Grand Prix is set to take place at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace subject to contract.
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