P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Back in 2019, if I had told you that there wouldn’t be a Formula 1 race in China for five years, you might not have been totally surprised. F1’s always been a sport that will pick up and drop races…
In 2019, no one would have predicted that there wouldn’t be a Formula 1 race in China for five years. The unexpected COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the 2020 season, canceling races and causing a major pause until July. The Chinese Grand Prix returned after five years, with teams having only one practice session on a track they haven’t visited in a long time. Liberty Media had taken over Formula 1 two years earlier, leading to significant changes in the sport. The last Chinese Grand Prix was marked as the 1000th race, and now the upcoming edition will be the 1106th in the world championship. Many young drivers have emerged since the last race in China, including George Russell, Lando Norris, and Alex Albon, while veterans like Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have retired or been replaced.