Unfortunately and once again, the Chinese Grand Prix has been cancelled for 2023, meaning Formula 1 will again not visit Shanghai, having last visited in 2019 for the 1000th F1 race, and since then we've gotten to race number 1079.
The disappointment is possibly more now than the previous three year given the fact we have a Chinese driver on the grid in Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu.
📸 Zhou Guanyu.
A few options are available most notably Portimao, the Portuguese circuit that featured on the revised F1 calendars in 2020 and 2021, as the shuffling around COVID altered how F1 ran and where it ran. In both years, Lewis Hamilton won for Mercedes.
📸 The Mercedes lead at Portimao.
Here are my top 3 choices for an alternative to Shanghai:
Sepang International Circuit
Personally, I'd like to see F1 return to Malaysia to the Sepang circuit because the track became such a well known destination for F1 prior to it dropping from the calendar after 2017. The unpredictable weather, the classic feel, long corners and long straight made it such good watching.
📸 Jenson Button won here in 2009, but took half points for Brawn GP after the race was red flagged due to torrential rain.
At the last race weekend here, 20 year old Max Verstappen won for Red Bull, beating Hamilton who himself finished ahead of then Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo. This race also saw the debut of Pierre Gasly for Toro Rosso in place of Daniil Kvyat, seven stand in FP1 drivers including Sean Gelael, standing in for. Carlos Sainz at Toro Rosso, Sergey Sirotkin in for Nico Hulkenberg at Renault and Charles Leclerc replacing Marcus Ericsson at Sauber. Meanwhile Haas' Romain Grosjean suffered a heavy crash in FP2, spinning when a loose drain cover forced the accident.
📸 Verstappen became the third(and first) youngest driver to win a race, his win in Malaysia came the day after his 20th birthday.
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
F1 could make its long awaited return to Africa, having last been there in 1993. Kyalami, South Africa has undergone development recently to make an 'FIA Grade One' circuit, meaning it's possible for F1 to race there, and actually saw itself touted as a possible option for 2023 before the calendar was released, but was left out. Kyalami would be popular among fans.
📸 F1 legend Niki Lauda took his first pole position at Kyalami.
Besides, can you call it a 'World Championship' if you don't try visit every continent you can?
At the last race here; torrential thunderstorms and high humidity made for a difficult race with just 7 classified finishers(2 of which didn't actually finish), and was won by Williams driver Alain Prost, who beat McLaren's Ayrton Senna by almost an entire lap, while lapping third placed Mark Blundell, then racing for Ligier. Throwback.
📸 Alain Prost leads the way in a chaotic final South African Grand Prix.
Intercity Istanbul Park
Another trip to Turkey is not beyond the realms of possibility, given the gap between two races is on the crossover between racing in Asia and Europe and Istanbul is right on that border. Logistically, this one makes the most sense. Having last visited in 2020 and 2021, both races in the Turkish city conjured up good racing, with 2020's wet/dry race seeing Hamilton crowned champion for the seventh time, and 2021 seeing a titanic battle between Hamilton and Sergio Perez, driving that white Red Bull.
📸 7 time world champion in 2020. Hamilton took those tyres into dry conditions to hold on ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez.
The last race here(2021) saw Valtteri Bottas take a commanding victory for Mercedes, beating Red Bull pair Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez who were second and third respectively. In qualifying, Mick Schumacher hauled his Haas into Q2, surprising many given the lack of performance the American team had for their car. Also as aforementioned, Red Bull ran a Honda tribute livery all weekend, a striking white design, reminiscent of Jenson Button's 'Lucky Strike' BAR car from 2006.
📸 The white Honda appreciation livery.
Which three would you narrow it down to?
📸 Image credits: Formula Motorsport Limited, Alfa Romeo ORLEN, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Williams Racing.
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