Formula One announced Tuesday that the 2023 season will remain a 23-race campaign, opting to not fill the gap left by canceling the Chinese Grand Prix.
This marks the fourth year F1 will not hold the Chinese Grand Prix, this year’s decision being announced in early December due to the “ongoing difficulties presented by the COVID-19 situation.” However, since the announcement, the country has relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions.
F1 had reportedly been in talks with other potential locations to fill the April 16th gap, such as Portugal’s Portimao circuit, per ESPN. However, they ultimately decided to keep the season to just 23 races, leaving a four-week gap between Australia and Azerbaijan, which are slated for April 2 and April 30, respectively.